Into Emerald Flames
by flawsmadebeautiful
Summary: Never remember a person by what they've become but by who you want to remember them by. James remembers Lily before she tore apart their relationship and his heart. Can he win her back, even though she's gone to the Dark Side? Complete.
1. Captured

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter One: Captured**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do own the Original however, Magic That Shines Green.**

**Beta read by Clo Salvatore and R.E. Mulvey. **

**Yay! So here marks the start of my Sequel, Into Emerald Flames. I realize a lot of people might be mad...that Lily said no, but hopefully this story will be erm...happier. Sort of...no promises so don't hold me to it.**

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><p>-l-Lily-l-<p>

Saying no, that had to be nearly the hardest thing I've ever done. But the hardest thing was having to walk away. I ran out of the Hall, knowing I had just done it. I had ended our relationship.

Our everything. I threw it all away...because I was eighteen...to young. I wanted to live life, not get married before I even had a job. And...I also did it to save his life, but from the look in his eyes, I just broke his heart, and tore up his everything.

So when I apparated home, I was sobbing, I didn't want to talk about it to anyone. And only about a week after that, Severus appeared at my door.

" Hello, oh Severus, what are you doing here?" I asked, startled that he was here.

He pulled up his sleeve, where the mark branded him as one of them. " Lily, they sent me. I have to recruit you, otherwise..." he closed his eyes, and I knew what he was thinking. Death. " Please."

" I'll never join the Dark Side, I...I can't, don't make me," I stared at his pocket where his wand was. Mine was upstairs on my dresser.

" I'm really sorry Lily." He looked at me, with pained eyes.

" Why?" I asked, on the verge of panic.

He raised his wand, and still I didn't move. " Obliviate!" was the last thing I heard him shout, before everything flashed through my memory.

Annabelle. James. Sirius. Quidditch. The dance. Annabelle. More James. N.E.W.T.s. The proposal. Then nothing.

I blinked and turned around. Severus, my best friend had an odd look of fear on his face.

" Sev? What's wrong?" I asked in genuine concern.

" Lily, do you know where we are?" he asked, nearly dropping his wand.

" Of course, my house. Do you know when we get our N.E.W.T.s results?" I asked him.

" Not really. Do you know Annabelle?" he inquired, looking around.

" Oh yes, her. She was my friend until she got a boyfriend. I can't remember his name. Lucas or some awful common name. We aren't friends anymore," I said, thinking of how we had fought.

" So you know where Remus is?" he asked, pulling out a map, and rightening it.

I shrugged. " he said he wanted to get a flat with his friends. One of them is Annabelle's boyfriend so we don't talk much. I hate her awful boyfriend," I muttered.

" What was his name?" I asked myself.

" Anyway," he interrupted my thoughts. " Go grab your wand and pack some robes. I'm recruiting you for a mission."

" Ooh a mission. Sounds fun. Just give me a minute," I said, sprinted up the stairs, grabbed my traveling bag and packed four sets of robes, a few books and my wand. Then my eyes landed on a locket, it was broken, and I narrowed my eyes curiously.

" Reparo," and it mended. I shrugged, and put it on, stuffing it under my robes as I ran down the stairs. Severus was waiting at the bottom, humming in a bored way.

" All ready," I announced as I shoved my hairbrush and a few other girl things in my bag. Like clips and makeup. A necessity for a girl.

He led me out the door, and then offered his hand. " Come with me?"

I hesitated, and then took his hand, and he spun, on the spot and vanished us into the cold night air.

When arrived, I looked around the house, not recognizing it.

" My flat," he explained. It wasn't very large, not that I knew an apartment that was. It had extension charms, making it rather spacious.

" My room," he nodded down the hall to the left. " Yours is on the right. So do know if you want in, I tend to brew potions. I'll try to block out any noise the potions might make, so you don't have to hear them exploding. Our training begins tomorrow, so get up at seven or I'll storm right in," Severus warned me with a smile.

" Training?" I asked as I set my bag on the floor.

Severus smiled. " Of course. We aren't sent out inexperienced. That would be a suicide mission. No, we recruit people in any way we can. We avoid threats, those aren't trustful enough. We usually wipe their memories."

_Wipe their memories_, that rang something in my head. " And then they train?"

He nodded. " You've already been schooled, and have fantastic grades. So we just teach you more...useful spells rather than the ones in school. Those won't work for our missions. You learn how to block your mind, and act indifferent. It's important in this kind of work," Severus elaborated.

" Can you show me something then?" I asked, half requesting.

He pulled out a muggle-photo. I could tell since the pictures didn't move. I looked at him, waiting.

" Now pay attention to details when we go out on real missions. She is young, and a witch, see the coat? It is spring and much too warm for coats. And she's tired, just look at her eyes. She's been walking, see how dirty the bottom of her cloak is? She's a witch on the run...from us. But we will catch her," Severus put the photo down.

" What did she do wrong?" I asked.

" She's running away because we have laws and she defied them. To keep our secrets safe we have to kill anyone who dares to leave," Severus replied after a moment of thought.

" Why kill her?"

Severus went to the door, and left, turning to me before he closed it. " Because she was a Captured."


	2. Training To Kill

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Two: Training To Kill**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

**A/N: I have a new name, Sapphire Leo. So, just...thought I might say that. Just in case you didn't notice.**

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><p>-l-Lily-l-<p>

Ressa.

Ressa Crover.

I tested the name on my tongue, and then in my head. " Ressa Crover."

Severus stood next to me, and gave me an odd look, but didn't speak up.

Ressa. It still didn't feel right. No matter how many times I tried to speak my new name. Only muggleborns were given a new name. It was to help keep our real identity safe. Half bloods and Purebloods had the safety enough to use their real names if they were captured by the Order.

The Order. It was a new association, said to be led by Dumbledore himself, but no one knew if it was true. The Ministry feared the Dark Lord, as they should. But they feared the Order just as much.

_" You are Lily Evans no more. Do not speak that old name. You are Ressa," the cold voice said, without emotion. " Ressa Crover. It suits you, don't you think?"_

_I knew he didn't really care what I thought. Instead I kept up my shields to my mind and replied. " Of course my Lord."_

_" You accept that you have finally joined our number?" he asked._

_" I am honored to join you." I bowed my head obediently like Severus had taught me. And I said as little as possible. The more I talked, the more chances I would get in trouble._

_He slowly lifted his wand. " Will you bear my mark with honor? And let those who wish, feel my wrath upon your skin?"_

_I lowered my head slightly, avoiding looking at his eyes. " If you wish it my Lord."_

_His eyes narrowed, head tilted slightly to the side, and then he lifted his wand._

_" No!" Severus objected, just before the spell was cast._

_" Severus...Snape is it not?" the Dark Lord turned slightly to face Severus._

_Severus nodded, his head held slightly higher. " Yes, my Lord."_

_" Why do you object?"_

_" My Lord," Severus was choosing his words very carefully, I could tell. His eyes flickered to me, warning me not to speak. " If you do not mark her. Think about it. She can get to the other muggleborns. She does not need your mark to scare them. She is a very powerful witch and has trained hard, she can do wonders without the mark. And if you do not mark her, she may be able to get into the Ministry. And to Dumbledore himself."_

_I turned, glaring at Snape, yet I didn't speak. How dare he take away my honor of being marked at the Dark Lord's follower._

_The Dark Lord turned to fully look at Severus. " You have a fine mind Severus. Indeed, we may need that power later. Keep your friends close to you, but get even closer to your enemy. Trust is key."_

_Severus smiled slightly. " Of course my Lord."_

_The Dark Lord let go of my arm, and I was dismissed._

_I stormed out, and disapparated as soon as I was outside of the shields._

_Severus spun on the spot right after me, following me._

" Why did you do that?" I demanded in a shout.

" Lily-"

" Why?" I fumbled with the neck of my robes, and pulled out the locket. The locket from no one. " You said you loved me. Is that why you did that?" I asked.

" Yes," he replied, his eyes settling on the locket with a sort of fury.

I pulled the necklace off. " Did you give this to me?"

" No," Severus replied to his shoes.

" Who did?" I whispered, rolling it in my hands and staring at it.

He didn't answer my question. " Someone gave it to you, once...long ago."

" Did I love him back?" I asked, turning it over to read the word engraved in the metal. _Love._

" Once you did...then..." he traiiled off.

" Where did he go?" I asked, realizing I had no idea who this **he **was.

" He left...you and him...you didn't work out."

I turned the locket back over, to look at the shiny metal. I sighed. " So why would I keep this?" I pulled it free of where it had tangled in my hair, realizing why it must have been in the bottom of my trunk.

" Don't," Severus warned.

" Why not?" I asked, curious as to why I would even bother with it.

" It could save your life."

I gave him a confused look. He must have lost it, I decided. Rolling my eyes, and muttering "boys," under my breath, I clasped it back on, stuffing it back under my robes.

" We have a mission tomorrow, so let's eat," he said, making his way back into his room.

Suddenly, there was a pop, and someone appeared. He was short, young-looking, maybe my own age, with straw blonde hair and blue eyes. " Severus-"

" Pete-," Severus began to say the man's name. Suddenly he froze, as did the man.

" Lily?" the man named Pete gasped.

" Go Peter, just...go!" Severus shoved him, hard, onto the ground, and he whirled, just before he hit the ground, disapparating. But not before giving me one last fearful look.

-l-Remus-l-

" Moon!" Peter gasped, running into my room. His eyes were wide with panic and he was shaking.

" She...she's with Snape!" he said between gulps of air.

" Well they were friends," I pointed out, continuing to brew a potion for the Ministry. I had managed a job, as a potion maker...for the Aurors. They needed to carry a couple of life-saving potions around.

" No," he gulped for more air.  
>I mean, she has no idea who I am!" he yelped as I dropped my book on his foot.<p>

" Sorry Peter, I mean..what?" I asked, getting up.

" She really doesn't know me. She was with Severus."

I chewed my lip, thinking. " How do you know this?"

" I was walking, but...do you think he's done something to her? I mean, she didn't recognize me at all," he said.

I heard the words he didn't say. To me, it sounded as though her memory had been wiped of nearly everyone. I wondered just how far Severus might go.

" I'm going to Dumbledore. We need to find her. And since the Order needs members, she might be important. I'll go on a mission to find her myself if I have to. I'll hunt her down," I said, getting up, intending to go right now.

Peter gave me an almost puzzled look. " I think it's too late Moony."

That stopped me in my tracks. Peter never objected to anything. He just went with it. But now he was trying to tell me something was too late. The words rang in my head like a horror film. " What do you mean?" I asked hesitantly.

" She's joined them Moony. She was recruited by force. She's one of the Captured," Peter said, clapping a hand over his mouth after he said the last word.

" She would never-"

Peter cut me off. " Yes she would. Think about it Remus. They wipe her memory of all the people she knows. Except one person who is one of them. Then he tells her to join him on a mission, she gets trained up a bit. Then they set her against her own friends, using deadly spells and killing without even knowing who these people are. They are good duelists, and they only get better."

" And there is no cure?" I asked helplessly.

Peter gave a half shrug. " Well...not really. Unless you can bring back her memory, which then layers over the new one she's created. And it's extremely hard to bump her memory back. They're powerful wizards Remus, first you'd have to find her."

-l-Ressa-l-

Training took three months.

We learned new spells and new curses. The textbooks were hard enough to memorize, but then came the practicals.

They were ever challenging, tested endurance and memory. It was physically and mentally hard, always pushing my limits to the breaking point. And we would work alone, as the Dark Lord believed that no one cared about you once you were down. Once you fell, if you wanted to get up, that was your choice, but it was a fight to do so. And no one, NO ONE, would stop to help you up.

Out there, no one was your friend. There were only those who had power, and those who were too weak to try to seek it. There was an enemy, and then there were the people on your side.

No one in between. No one who was half of both. No, you chose a side and you were bound to it.

I was partnered with Severus, as I worked best with him.

I learned to be faster, wittier, talk less and think more. _" Stupefy!" I shouted in my mind, aiming for a girl in the corner. She screamed, and dropped like a rock. Then I stood perfectly still, feeling for another's mind._

_Then, I did what Severus claimed was impossible. I seemed to leave my body, if only for a moment, and instead, my mind traveled, right toward another's open mind, and I threw up my own shields , colliding with them and throwing their mind out of their body._

_The girl now screamed, and screamed, her mind trying to get back. But it never made it. Someone knocked her body out cold before her mind could return. And she lay, slumped on the ground. Her mind unable to return and awaken her again._

_I clapped my hands over my mouth, nearly dropping my wand. I looked at Severus, who stared, emotionlessly at the girl._

_" Ress, what did you do?" he asked, sounding more curious than repulsed._

_" I used my mind...and I threw her mind out of her body. I don't know what I did," I whispered, horrified._

_Severus tilted his head to one side, feeling for her mind. " I think she's dead. Her mind isn't there anymore."_

_" I k-killed her?" I asked, in a hushed whisper._

_He nodded. " That was impressive."_

I learned to be faster, to block others from my mind, while shoving past their shields and getting into theirs. To be fast, and have an untamable fight in me. I would get blasted back multiple times, but I learned to twist before I fell, and get up, or else get up even faster than I fell.

They taught me to stand truth potions to the point my throat ached, and I couldn't speak...but I could stand it.

The dementors were a challenge, but I learned to be able to push past the cold, and control them. For they were only a fear. And fear was nothing to be afraid of. Instead, I pushed them back with my mind. I learned to make them question my power. See if they would test me, and when they no longer tried to attack, I was free...I could bend them to my own will.

I could throw off the Imperius Curse in a matter of seconds, and redirect it, invading the mind of the person casting it, and throw them off.

I learned to lie...before I couldn't lie to save my life. Now I could lie as thought it was nothing. And everyone would believe me. My life's story was a lie...Severus told me his lies, and I told him the truth. I told him what I could remember. And I told him the lies I told the others, to make them believe my life was real.

They believed me to be a half blood, named Ressa Crover. Parents, one of them a muggle, he was murdered. My mother, she and I didn't have contact since I joined. So really, I didn't have to do a lot of lying.

I told them I was in Gryffindor at Hogwarts, but then joined Severus when he told me of the missions we had to do.

I was never distracted, instead I watched everyone in a room. Always waiting for someone to stop mid-sentence and curse me dead.

I could control my anger, and put on a mask of indifference that never shifted. Only grew fierce and steely, never striking out in anger. Instead I waited, knowing that I had to patient.

I no longer spoke all the time, but in short sentences, and only when I had to.

" Another mission," Severus instructed.

" Another simulation?" I asked, polishing my wand until it shone.

He smiled lightly. " No, this is the real world now."

" What's our mission?" I asked, grinning, but hiding it.

" Take by surprise and hold hostage."

" How long will we hold them?"

" As long as it takes Potter to agree."

" Potter?" I asked. " Sounds familiar."

" They're blood traitors, that's why. The next in line is Mr. James Potter. Unmarried, no current relationships, and he's a pureblood. With high scores on the Dark Arts. I expect you can train him into a fine wizard."

I shrugged. " I suppose."

" Was he at Hogwarts too?" I asked, as Severus lay out a paper showing our map.

" Mhm," was Severu's reply as he tapped his wand on the paper to animate it."

" We will be with Bellatrix and a few others. We will infiltrate his home. Barricade the werewolf. And escape."

" You trained me well," I said with a smile.

" I learned from the best," he answered lightly, sounding almost excited.

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><p>I have no further planned out chapters, so I'm not sure when I'll next update.<p>

I am also going to be entering a writing contest which a whole story is due on the 10th, so I may not update until then. I'll try, I do have it written, it's just a matter of the 'getting it to the computer in a document form' that I have to work on.


	3. Ressa Crover

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Three: Ressa Crover**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome (CloSalvatore)and R.E. Mulvey.**

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><p>-l-James-l-<p>

I sat, writing a report on the First Wizard War, what happened, and what was commonly occurring. Mostly on Dumbledore's orders, because he said that history has a habit of repeating itself. And if I wrote things down now, I would understand more later. Suddenly, the secretary knocked on the door.

" Potter!" she shouted at me. I jumped, nearly fell out of my chair and straightened up. I could see Sirius's barely contained snickers threatening to burst out.

" Yes sir? I mean ma'am?" I corrected quickly, earning a snort from Sirius. I sent him a glare, and turned to smile at her. She narrowed her eyes, but opened her mouth.

" Alright Mr. Potter, Mrs. Crover would like to talk with you, for a short amount of time. Mr. Black too," she added, when Sirius nearly fell out of his chair from laughing at me.

The girl standing in the doorway was not some Mrs. Crover. It was Lily, her wide green eyes almost fearful. She held out her hand, clearly going to apparate.

" Lily?"

She ignored my question, and held out her hand to Sirius as well. His eyes widened. " Mrs. Crover?"

But she only answered by holding her hand out to us. We both exchanged a glance, and stepped forward, taking her hand.

She turned, and just as we appeared, I saw a glimpse of my flat, before two dark, hooded figured jumped on us, and all I knew was I couldn't see or move.

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><p>When I opened my eyes, I knew I shouldn't have fallen for it. I'd taken us right into a trap.<p>

I was bound by invisible ropes, holding me only inches off the ground. Next to me, Sirius was bound as well. No one else was around. It was an empty room. Gray walls, with peeling white paint, and chipped cement made up the floor. From what I saw, it looked as though we were locked in a basement...with no door? I looked around, searching for wood, any exit. Surely they wouldn't just trap us here to die.

" Padfoot!" I hissed.

He turned to look at me, struggling with his binds. " Hmm?"

" When'll Pete notice we're gone?" I muttered, hoping Peter would be able to get the Order.

We had recently joined the Order, which had about forty or fifty members, all scattered across the Wizarding World, even including some of them who lived among muggles. I knew some of them were squibs, unfortunately Mr. Filch included. Most of Hogwarts staff was there, McGonagall (Minnie as Sirius liked to call her), and surprisingly enough, Hagrid was on the staff. But he wasn't a main member, and therefore didn't turn up at all the meetings.

In fact, Dumbledore wasn't hosting more than half of the meetings. Instead, it was Molly and Arthur, as well as a few other safe houses, mine included, were our main meeting places. Young Bill and Charlie were banned of course, Molly didn't even mention the war to her kids, so it was a wonder that they knew anything about it at all.

" Maybe tomorrow, if he even realizes we aren't in our rooms," Sirius mumbled, still determinedly fighting his binds.

" What happened when I blacked out?" I asked, looking around the cramped room. It felt damp, so it might not even be a room. My guess was a basement or even a cellar. I still searched for a door, not sure if they had locked us in here to die.

" You blacked out too soon. I shot a spell at one of them, Bellatrix, my cousin by the sound of it. They've barricaded Remus in his room, and I heard her torturing him. Lily did...she was shouting at him, she wanted information on the Order. And he just kept screaming that he didn't know." Sirius's eyes blazed furiously, even in the dim light.

I turned to look out the small window, which was from what I could tell, the only source of light. A bit cruel, but not as bad as what I'd heard Death Eaters would do to their prisoners. Some said it was worse than Azkaban.

" Do you really think Lily would hurt them all?" I asked quietly.

Sirius shifted slightly. " I saw him last night. My brother. He was so good as a little kid, but now...it's like he's not even who he was. Just a shell, and at the same time, he's more than he ever was. He's a brilliant fighter, it's just too bad he fights for the wrong side. I think they did something to her James..."

" Like what?" I asked, slightly anticipating his response, and at the same time fearing it.

" Like...it's like she didn't know you. Or me...it's like she's closed her heart to everyone. Almost like she doesn't want to feel anything anymore, almost like she _can't_," Sirius replied, looking around the room and taking in our surroundings.

I looked up at the paint-peeled ceiling. And then I saw it. It was a wooden square, with black steel running across it and a single handle. A trapdoor, obviously, by the looks of it.

I nudged Sirius and wordlessly motioned to it. He blinked in the dark, and then narrowed his eyes to get a better look at it. " So now we're trapped as well. Do you think they're hurting Remus?"

" Nevermind him," I replied, not that I wasn't concerned about Remus. But at the moment, I was a little more concerned about what the Death Eaters wanted with us.

" Do you think we'll make it?" I asked doubtful they would really let us live.

" And damage my bloodline?" Sirius joked. And it surprised me that he could even crack a joke in this situation.

CRASH! Something above shattered, most likely a plate or crystal ball.

" NOW REALLY!" That voice was unmistakable, shrill, and screaming in anger that had been directed at me so many times.

Both of our heads snapped around as the trapdoor opened, and two figures dropped down. One jumped, nearly falling, while the other came down on a rope ladder. Traditional, I thought silently.

Both wore black cloaks, however, the first who had jumped pulled back her hood, and her red hair spilled down her back. She smiled slightly, almost sadly at us.

-l-Third-l-

Lily, now Ressa Crover, smiled at both Order members. A sinister smirk that did not fit her well, and a gleam in her eye that would frighten even the Dark Lord. She studied them both, and then crossed her arms.

Reason being, one, she recognized her ex-friend Annabelle's boyfriend. He was the one who had messed up jet black hair, and startled hazel eyes. So the other, with the long dark hair, and the steely gray eyes must be his friend.

" Lily?" the black haired boy, who she had nicknamed The Leader, since he was more concerned about what was happening than the werewolf they had captured.

" My name is Ressa," she replied coldly, refusing to answer to her old name.

" Evans?" the other boy guessed. She nicknamed this boy, The Protector, as he seemed more concerned for her than his own situation, which, judging by Severus's smirk, was not good.

Ressa narrowed her green eyes at them. " My name is Ressa Crover."

" Are you in the Order?" Severus's voice was cool, carefully concealing any feeling behind the words.

" The what?" the Leader asked, though one sweep of his mind revealed he knew what they were talking about. And he was determined to lead them away from that subject.

" The Order. It's a secret society, and what it is doing is wrong. They are against us, and we will win. We're powerful, and taking over everywhere. You can lose nothing by joining us," Ressa explained shortly. Her voice was level, showing no anger or frustration. But inside, she was having a war with herself. Why did that one boy aggravate her? Just the way he looked at her got under her skin, like no other had.

" Yes, we are in the Order. We only did what our leader told us to," he answered the question very carefully.

" And I was paired with him, so what do you want from us?" the Protector demanded.

Ressa flashed over their minds quickly. " The Order," she turned to look at the small window. Something silver moved outside. " The Phoenix, of course. Dumbledore's orders, and his patronus! Fawks, he's a phoenix. Rightfully making Dumbledore one as well, it shows your true image. Then...of course, The Order of the Phoenix," she declared, showing only a bit of excitement upon the discovery.

The two just stared, horrified and impressed. Sirius flashed James a look of fear.

" It is Dumbledore isn't it? The leader of the Order?" Ressa asked Severus, whose lips curled behind his hood, and he gave the smallest of nods.

" What do you want us for then?" Sirius demanded, boldly, or very foolishly.

Ressa's answer was a silent glare, and after a second she went to the trapdoor. She climbed up the ladder, and knocked on the door, to which it opened. " Reinforcement?" she requested.

One of the people above shouted, " Get the monster out of the cellar!"

James and Sirius's heads snapped up, eyes searching. Ressa had climbed down the ladder by the time they half threw, half kicked a man into the basement. He landed hard on the cement, and though his jaw seemed to have been broken, he made no sound. Ressa picked him up, and pulled the brown cloak back to reveal two blue eyes, fading to gold, and the brown hair of a werewolf.

The wolf that they had barricaded in his room, Remus Lupin stood, his eyes fiercely fixed on Lily, but he made no sound. Even as his friends struggled and fought their bonds.

" The Full Moon tonight, isn't it?" Severus asked icily.

Remus's shoulders stiffened, but he did not reply to the bait. Sirius and James both tensed, not replying either.

" Do enjoy the sunset," he pulled out his wand and made the window large, so it stretched across nearly half of the room. " I daresay it shall be your last. Have a nice walk in the moonlight." He vanished up the ladder, leaving Ressa with three Servants, or at least in Death Eater terms.

Ressa lifted an eyebrow at the three, and conjured up a chair for Remus to sit in. " You know, one of your friends is a Captured. Peter isn't it?" she asked.

" A what?" Remus asked, speaking for the first time.

" Peter, he's a Captured isn't he?" she asked, looking at the three befuddled expressions that met her response.

" A what exactly?"

" A Captured," she stated, looking at them. " Oh I thought you must have known. We capture people, and then they become one of use, he might actually be a Tortured..." she trailed off.

" And the difference being?" James asked, and they all exchanged confused glances.

" A Stolen is a child, we take them at a young age, youngest being twelve, and raise them as one of us. They are one of the safest to make. They forget everything except their new world. A Captured is someone kidnapped, a lot like a Stolen, but they get their memory erased. A Tortured is like Peter, they are bullied into it. A Born-Of, they are very rare, but they are usually a son, and they are born into the Death Eaters and raised like their own father. Then there are Servants like you," she pointed to the Leader and Protector.

" Servants?" the Protector asked, glaring at her.

" They'll try to get answers from you. Then...well..."

" They kill us," Remus said shortly, a bite in his voice.

" Well..." Ressa faltered slightly. " Not always."

Ressa studied them. " I know you're a pureblood," she snarled at Sirius, " you look like your brother. Your looks can't hide your high-born tongue."

" I'm pureblood too," James objected.

" Wait, my high-born tongue?" Sirius accused. " What do you mean by that lady?"

Ressa looked affronted, but replied with the same coldness she was taught, " Your looks may fool any passerby. But when they hear you speak, they know who you are."

When Sirius only looked even more confused, and slightly concerned for Ressa's sanity, Remus stepped in.

" She means that it's your use of words. Just all the complicated things you say sometimes, that's your high-born tongue coming out of you," Remus explained lightly.

Sirius rolled his eyes. " You should hear my parents."

" Lily, what are you doing here? Did they capture you too?" Remus asked innocently, unaware of the wrath this would cause.

" My name is Ressa," she snapped, refusing to look anyone in the eye.

Remus laughed. " You have to change a lot more than that to be one of them. You'll never be one of them."

Ressa pulled out her wand, holding it to Remus's throat. " I've killed before you half-breed, I've killed some of your own breed. They're a nasty disgrace to society. Things like you don't deserve anything, in fact, why I should I even bother to talk to you. Against me, you wouldn't stand a chance."

Remus stepped away from the wand, which was dangerously close to his throat. " You are Lily Evans, Ressa, I know you don't believe it. But James loved you, he always has...and right now, I don't know who you are."

" I'm Ressa, I don't know this Lily you're talking about," she lied, straight to his face. " Your Tortured, he joined in Seventh Year, and you three never knew. Which one of you is James?"

Remus and Sirius motioned to James, who was now looking out the window, aimlessly.

" Do you remember anything about school? Head Girl? Top grades?" Remus inquired.

Ressa shrugged, hiding her sadness easily. " I don't really remember school."

" So you don't remember Alice? The Marauders? Do you even remember dating James?"

Ressa turned, her eyes nearly locked with James's, but then she realized the time. " I have to go. Be careful Remus, I'll be back at morning."

She retreated to the ladder. " Have a good night."

As soon as the trapdoor snapped shut, Remus whirled on his friends. " Change, now!"

Four black paws hit the ground, alongside the clatter of hooves, just before the werewolf's snarls pierced the silent night.

Above, Ressa fell against the trapdoor, silently crying for the people she didn't know, and had no memory of, and yet she felt like she knew so well.

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><p>So, I hope you liked it. And that no one hates me. Turns out, my inspiration wouldn't leave me alone so here's another update!<p>

Also, no, Annabelle is not completely gone. You might see her way way way later in this story.

Review?


	4. Necklace Kisses

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Four: Necklace Kisses**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and R.E. Mulvey.**

* * *

><p>-l-Ressa-l-<p>

It was six o' clock when my alarm went off. It only beeps really soft, more in an annoying way than anything, but to me, it went off as though someone had fired a cannon. I sat bolt upright.

Remus.

That was the first thing that flew through my mind, then I remembered to close off my thoughts. " Stupid," I muttered, insulting myself for not remembering Severus's rules.

I changed my robes, cleaned them, showered, and dried my hair with a quick spell. Usually I wouldn't be out of bed until I was awake and my alarm was about to drive me to insanity.

I tiptoed to the trapdoor, and fumbled with the key, dropped it at least twice, and nearly got my hair taken off when I summoned the Essence of Dittany. It was important, as well as robes that I'd washed and cleaned for the werewolf. I doubted he was awake yet. The lock clicked open, and I struggled with the rope ladder, before giving up and just throwing it down.

I peered into the now-bright room. In the morning light, it showed off the peeling walls, the scarlet blood that stained the gray cement, and the bleeding dog and stag on the floor, curled around Remus, who had changed back, and was fast asleep.

I jumped down, not bothering with the ladder, and pushed the dog up first. He shook his gleaming black coat, and licked the blood from his shoulder, where the werewolf seemed to have bitten him. Feeling playful, the dog leapt on the stag, who scrambled up, and nearly fell over, one of his forelegs giving out on him.

I ignored the two animals' antics, and went on, applying the dittany to Remus's wounds, most of them on his arms and legs. I cleaned the wounds as best as I could, and wordlessly handed him his robes when my healing of a particularly large slash awoke him.

" You done?" I asked, and turned around, just as he pulled on his robe.

The other two were still animals, blinking at me with their eyes. The stag still stood, at his odd stance, refusing to put his right foreleg down, and the dog licking a wound on his same foreleg.

" James," I called, feeling stupid, but not knowing how else to call a deer.

" His name is Prongs," Remus said, turning to me, his voice weak and scratchy.

" Prongs?" I asked him, not sure I'd heard him right.

This time, the deer stumbled forward, and he blinked his bright eyes at me. Trust, but also betrayal shone in those eyes. I knew those eyes, but for some reason, I couldn't place where I'd seen them.

Suddenly, he turned, offering me his shoulder, which I applied the dittany to carefully, watching the skin stretch to repair itself. The dog, Padfoot or Sirius as I learned, came at a brisk trot, offering his shoulder quickly, and yelping when it burned.

" Sorry," I apologized, screwing the cap back on. " I'll be back with food. Human food, so I expect you'll all be turned back by then."

I came back down with three plates, full of scrambled eggs, toast and a bit of marmalade I'd managed to sneak. I set their food down, and in one bound, Padfoot had changed back, gobbling down his food like a dog. I grimaced, and shuddered in disgust when I found that the stag, now James, was doing the same thing. Remus however, he nibbled on his toast and ate with his fork rather than his fingers.

" It's better than prison food," I commented, attempting to make conversation.

Sirius nodded in agreement. " Most prisons would probably give you bread and maybe water."

I didn't even want to ask how he would know that.

James however nudged his friend. " How'd you reckon that?"

Sirius shrugged. " Guessed. I do read occasionally, I'll have you know."

James snorted as though he doubted that.

A sudden thought struck me. I unclasped my necklace and pulled it off, holding it out in the gleaming light. " Do any of you know where this came from?"

Remus shoved his toast in his mouth and motioned that he couldn't answer. Sirius's gray eyes took in the necklace for a few seconds, but he didn't reply at once. " Well yeah..."

" Someone gave it to you," was James's response, even as he began on his toast.

" Who?"

" A guy," was the most descriptive I got from Remus, who then started to eat his second slice of toast.

" Someone who loved you," Sirius replied, stealing a piece of toast from James, who sent him a glare.

" Did I love him back?" I asked aloud, allowing some emotion to show, despite what Severus had warned me about that.

_" Never let your opponent know what you're thinking. Don't let them get in your head. Never let them see who you truly are. You have to lie, lie to them about who you are. You can never ever let them see how their words affect you. That's a sign of weakness, and in battle, you can't afford that weakness."_

" Clearly not," James snapped, setting his plate down forcefully.

I glanced at Sirius, who was mouthing something to James.

Remus sighed and slowly set his plate down. " I believe you did Lily. But I don't think you knew it at the time."

" Ressa," I corrected.

I took their plates, and floated them up the ladder first. Sirius and Remus were talking, but James had followed me.

I clipped the necklace back on. " Did I love you once?" I dared to ask, looking at him.

He didn't answer immediately. He took a step closer, and I didn't move. Fear struck me, and I couldn't move. Then he took another step forward, and for an instant, I felt the instinct to run hit me.

But still my legs wouldn't move.

_He raised his wand, and for an instant, fear struck me. But I couldn't move, he was my friend...Severus would never kill me. And just as he screamed the curse, I turned, closing my eyes in fear, and I felt my memory flash. And somehow, I knew it was all flashing past, before it would be gone forever. But then there was nothing._

But this wasn't Severus. And why I'd just seen what I did, it puzzled me. Then he kissed me, and that confused me more, because I remembered kissing him before. So why couldn't I remember who he was?

_" That's the star that led me straight to you," I remembered those words, and they echoed in my mind._

I pushed back, more out of shock than anything. He had said those words, it was his voice. So why couldn't I remember who he was...or why he'd said that?

I climbed up the ladder, still confused, and when I reached the top, I closed the trapdoor and cried. I cried because I knew, he was the one who gave me the necklace. He loved me, and I couldn't even remember how I fell in love with him.


	5. Shields Up

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Five: Shields Up**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome, americanathogwarts and R.E. Mulvey. (They are awesome, and I'd check out R.E. Mulvey's stories...as well as americanathogwarts)**

**Anyone think I have enough betas?**

* * *

><p>-l-Severus-l-<p>

I watched as Ressa washed three plates, dried them, and carefully put them away.

" What are you doing?" I asked, stepping forward. She jumped, nearly breaking the plate in her hands.

" Oh, I just gave them breakfast. I thought that we might question them today," she replied, and though I tried to read her mind, she kept her shields up.

" We already know what the Order is about. So why don't we just turn them loose? They clearly don't know a lot about it," I drawled, not wanting to have to be near Potter any longer than I had to. Seeing as he was from Lily's past, and a big part of it, he could spike her memory. That was something I could not afford on my account.

She shrugged. " I want to get back my memory. James seems to know some of it. According to him, I used to love him. I can't fathom why exactly, but that amnesia might be wearing off."

Right, I had told her that my potion exploded, and had knocker her unconscious. Therefore, causing amnesia when she hit her head on the coffee table, which was glass by the way, and she believed me.

But this is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I needed a plan, and fast.

-l-Unknown-l-

I stood in the itchy black cloak, with the hood pulled past my eyes. They were too blue, and stood out too much, as I was constantly reminded by my boyfriend. You may ask why I joined these forces in the first place. I love him, my boyfriend, and I can't tell his secret of being a Death Eater.

His parents know, and they love him for it. They are purebloods, so they are of proper-blood. I am a muggleborn, my nickname is Ella: simple, I suppose. It really doesn't do me justice a lot of the time. But my boyfriend has me disguised as a half blood, with dead parents, killed by a couple of Death Eaters actually. But I don't tell them that. They would kill me too.

" Ella, you know of our prisoners, do you not?" Severus asked, his hood back, revealing his sallow skin and cold black eyes.

I nodded fearfully. " I do Severus."

He smiled slightly, but only just. " I need to ask a favor of you."

" Anything," was my immediate response.

" Free them," he said.

I reeled back, and nearly crashed into the wall. " Sorry! I mean, what?"

" Free them. You loved him once, did you not?" he opened the trapdoor, and motioned to James, who was talking with Lily.

" Lily's there," I said slowly.

" No, her name is Ressa. Just as yours is Ella," his eyes hardened. I knew he knew my true identity, but I only responded by pulling my hood up higher.

" Why do you need them free? I would think you'd need him, for questioning at least," I pointed out, motioning to where Lily was talking with Remus.

Severus stood there, emotionless, and looking like he was mulling it over. " She's a..." he jerked his head slightly. " Not like you. But she is one of us. She can't get it back," he said warningly, choosing his words carefully. He was very precise, not wavering.

I thought it over, his words...the way he said them, with such force. " Oh! No, you don't mean-" I broke off, understanding what was unsaid in that sentence. " Surely not Severus...you wouldn't...not to her."

He gave a stiff nod, and for a second, I saw a flash of hurt, just before he closed himself off again. " I had to Ella, you know why."

" I do...but to do that...how could you? I thought you loved her," I admitted softly.

" I did, and I still do love her. But if she remembered him, she would have never joined. Not unless it was by force," he stated.

I sighed. " Does she remember me? Before I was Ella?"

Severus shook his head. " Only as her ex-friend."

" Fine. I'll free them at midnight tonight. What do you think she'll do when they're missing?"

Severus shrugged, pulling his hood back up. " We'll have to find out won't we?"

I pulled my hood up even farther, turned and kept walking. I let my eyes turn, taking in the dingy space. I walked through the labyrinth of halls, and floors, sifting hooded figures, searching for the one that fit my boyfriend.

And I found him on one of the middle floors, standing stock still, his shoulders stiff.

" We move out tonight, Severus's orders, we free the prisoners."

He turned his head at my words, and gave no acknowledgment. Finally, after another long look out of the large window, with dulling skies, he turned to face me. " All of them?"

" One in particular but yes."

" Ressa's ex-lover I presume," he muttered.

" He was mine as well," I added.

He flashed me a look, those steel gray eyes locked with my own piercing blue, they softened for a second. " Yes, your ex as well."

We walked down to the main level, and I opened the trapdoor. " We'll come and get you at eleven. Be ready to flee."

James's head was the only one that turned, the other two were asleep. His hazel eyes locked on mine, and for a second, I knew he recognized me.

" My name's Ella," I whispered before he could speak. He tilted his head, and then nodded, as though he had imagined my face.

" Thank you," he mouthed, motioning to his friends. And that's when I knew how loyal he really was. He would die for his friends, and he would do anything to protect them. Yes, he was a leader, but he led the group through the good and bad, and Sirius protected them, with just as much loyalty.

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><p>Any guesses on who this unknown person might be? And yes, you all know her...<p> 


	6. Escape Into the Night

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Six: Escape Into the Night**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome.**

OC: Ella-Character description: You'll have to find out.

**A/N: I have no clue when I'll update next, someone in my Physical Science class stole ALL of my next few chapters, and I had them all ready for typing. But someone stole them, so I don't know when I'll be able to update. But I'll say this, for Chapter 8 that I was working on, there should be a Death Eater raid.**

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><p>-l-Ella-l-<p>

I rolled off of my cot at ten before eleven. I shook my partner awake, and we walked carefully down the stairs.

Severus stood next to the trapdoor. " Ah...I see you brought your what, fiancee?"

" Not quite," my boyfriend replied, pulling his hood up.

" Where are we taking them?" I asked as Severus unlocked the trapdoor.

" Away hopefully. I was thinking...school. As I imagine the Order needs its members back," he replied.

I nodded swiftly, and threw down the ladder. It flew down and hit the ground.

" And Ella?" he added just before my boyfriend jumped. " Do kindly to remember that we aren't in school anymore."

He then turned to my boyfriend. " And I think it best if you got to the Castle without them noticing you."

He ducked his head respectfully at the older, and jumped down.

" Thank you Severus," I said quickly before I too jumped down.

My boyfriend caught me before I landed, and twirled me around. When I was placed on the ground, I went quickly to where Remus was. " Remus! Remus!" I hissed, trying my best to be quiet.

He started, and made to yell, but before he could I clapped a hand over his mouth. " It's me!" I whispered, which only caused him to struggle harder. " We're here to save you!"

He nodded, and pulled my hand away with his own.

" My name's Ella," I said. " I know I sound like someone you know. Now wake James up. My partner will get Sirius."

-l-Sirius-l-

I was shaken awake by someone wearing black. I blinked and the blurred image cleared. Two silver gray eyes met my own. I blinked again, and my brother's face appeared.

I jumped back, slamming my shoulder into James, who yelped, and rolled out of the way, and nearly kneed Remus in the stomach. Remus scrambled up to avoid further injury, and James rubbed his sore foot. I looked once more at my brother before speaking to the other hooded figure now helping James up.

" Who are you and where are you taking us?"

The girl, I could tell by her figure, straightened up and looked me in the eye. She had piercing blue eyes, and wore full black. She fumbled with her robes, and extracted three wands. " We're here to save you. If you behave, I'll give you these to make the rest of your escape."

" How do we know we can trust you?" James asked, looking at them. I could hear the anger in his voice, but even beneath that, the fear of having any of us hurt. " What about Peter?"

She tossed her black hair back so it vanished under her robes. " Do you really have much of a choice?"

James stepped back, away from her and closer to me. " I don't know if I should trust you. Maybe we're safer here."

She shook her head, and I saw the shake, even under her hood. " You're not safe here. Ressa and Severus will be back to question you tomorrow if you don't leave. I can take you somewhere safe. But only if you'll trust me."

James turned to me, and glanced at Remus. " I trust her," I whispered.

He nodded and turned to her. " Alright. But make it fast."

She turned, and climbed up the ladder. " We should be gone by midnight."

We all went up the ladder, and I still puzzled over my brother's appearance. We walked carefully through the empty halls, and I noticed we kept going down, at least we didn't have to climb a bunch of stairs.

More than once, Remus would stumble, but James always grabbed his wrist to keep him from falling. A couple times my brother also helped prevent his fall.

Suddenly, Remus slipped, and James made to prevent his fall, but missed, and Remus tumbled down three stairs before, Ella as she was called, was able to stop him.

She turned, her horrified eyes met everyone's. " GO! Run!" she whispered, in a deathly quiet voice.

I turned my head upward as there were footsteps heard above.

" Go," she hissed, pushing Remus down the rest of the stairs.

" Down the rest of the stairs and then to your right. Reg go! Just go!" She shoved him as well, even as he protested.

" I won't Ella. I won't leave you to them," he protested, even as he kept walking. James and I raced to the bottom of the stairs, past the two lovers.

I turned, not wanting to leave my brother.

" Go Regulus," she warned. " For me."

She looked past his shoulder to us. We were all standing there, waiting, even as the shouts above grew louder.

" I love you," he hissed. " I love you and I'm not about to let them hurt you. You don't belong here. I told you that when you joined, that you would never belong here."

" I also told you that if you're in this place, I'm going to be with you," She drew out the wands and gave them to him. " Go, you know his orders, now go!"

She turned, running up the stairs, and Regulus turned to us, threw us our wands and pushed us down the hall.

As soon as we were outside, he gave us no time to revel in the fresh air, smelling of sweet grass. He grabbed all of us by our wrists and turned on the spot.

The next thing I felt was a cool breeze, and I saw the twinkling lights of the castle.

We ran up to the castle, but Regulus held back, still standing there.

" Go on, I'll be there," I promised, as James struggled to hold Remus up. I pulled James's wand from his pocket and handed it to him. He levitated Remus up. Remus, still weak from the Full Moon had nearly splinched himself, and would need Madame Pomfrey's care.

I turned to Regulus, who was looking back at me. " So you've joined?"

He walked up to stand next to me. " I never should have fallen in love with her. I knew from the start it was dangerous. She's a Gryffindor at heart Sirius, just like you." He smiled, and I managed a weak smile back.

" So you love her?"

He nodded. " She's staying, and they'll probably torture her without me there to protect her. I can't go back though. If I do they'll kill me for saving you."

" Why did you save us?" I asked, needing to know why, despite Voldemort's rule, he'd gone against it to save us.

" Orders are orders," he replied.

" And your order were?"

" To free you at midnight," he replied with a smirk as the clock chimed twelve. " And I fulfilled my orders."

" Are you coming with us to the castle?" I asked, looking to see James arrive at the doors.

He tilted his head. " Yes, but it won't always be my home. I'll always be your brother though."

I smiled at him for perhaps the last time, and for the last time, he returned the smile with his own genuine smile.

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><p><em>Hopefully you read the AN at the top, so don't beg me for updates quite yet._

Review replies:

accio-food (who by the way is an awesome author! Anyway back to the point..)-Yes, most people should know who Ella is by now.

To: paili-chan- Okay so Severus obliviated her memory, but he only erased all of her memories of James. Only the memories of James. She can remember everything else. And she was willing to go on the mission because he told her to, and then during training he made her close her mind to people. Yes, there is some of Lily under Ressa's character, and yes, she did hate the dark side. But remember, she just got her mind taken from the last oh...six years. So she doesn't really know about the war, and only thinks that Severus and herself are fighting for something good.

Okay, yes, Severus did have his wand with him...and to her, him having his wand out isn't weird. Because she knows she's a witch, and she remembers her schooling. Or at least, what she was taught. She just doesn't remember anything that has James in it.


	7. The Unknowable

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Seven: ****The Unknowable**

****Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.****

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome. [Where did my other betas go?]**

**Okay so by now, you know should know who Ella is. If you don't, I highly suggest you pay more attention.**

**And by this chapter you should also know who Ella is in love with. I mentioned him this chapter and last. If you don't know who she's in love with, I suggest you pay careful attention.**

**Also, if you don't know who Ressa is, (I'm not saying anyone asked or anything...), but if you don't know who she is, I can't really help you out.**

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><p>-l-Regulus-l-<p>

I hated this. No, I wasn't talking about Madame Pomfrey currently dabbing Essence of Dittany on my wounds, which didn't even sting that bad. I was talking about Ella, who was still trapped in that place.

I knew her true name, as I had known her in my Sixth Year, while she was a Seventh Year.

My brother next to me was getting treated from a bite on his forearm, while James got treated for his shoulder.

Remus had a hospital bed, and was getting his wounds cleaned.

I sighed, placing my head on my knees and wrapped my hand in a bandage.

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><p><em>Back in time...<em>

_-l-Unknown-l-_

_The Dark Lord stood, his cloak billowed, and he smirked slightly. " You, Ella isn't it?"_

_Next to me, Ella lowered her head. " Yes my Lord."_

_He lifted her hand in his, moved her sleeve with his wand, and then cast the curse._

_The inky black metal, fiery hot like lava, burned over her skin, but she didn't break down and scream like most girls. No, she stood there and took it, her eyes tore from his, seeking another in the crowd._

_" Dismissed," he hissed when he was finished. She gave one glance back and ran, straight for another Death Eater and they ran off._

_Now it was my turn._

_" A half blood aren't you?" he asked me._

_I nodded. " Yes my Lord."_

_" So...no fancy name changing for you, will you bear my mark?"_

_I closed my eyes. " Yes."_

_He smirked again, and cast the same curse. It was like white hot iron, burning my skin as it marked me._

_I did not cry out, only stared into those emotionless eyes, even as the pain burned on._

_" Dismissed."_

_I walked out the door, then ran for the downstairs, one of the only exits. I pushed open the door and spun on the spot._

_Hogwarts, I thought, and appeared, running up to the castle, not caring if others saw me._

_After a long run, I was racing up the Headmaster's stairwell._

_" I've been marked. He marked me as his," I panted, pulling up my sleeve to reveal the still burning mark._

_The Headmaster turned to me, walking over slowly. " And whose side are you truly on?"_

_His blue eyes pierced me, with the cold question._

_" The Light. Always."_

_He seemed to think for a moment. " You will bear the mark of his slave, but you will never be at heart."_

_" No. I will always serve you Headmaster," I replied, opening my mind, letting down my shields._

_" I have seen your heart, and I know you speak the truth. You will join me and the Order, as a spy for the Light side," he murmured._

_I nodded. " Always."_

_" There will come a time, my pupil, when Voldemort will come after Mr. Potter. You must not let him be recruited. As for Lily, I must have her whereabouts soon. I'm sending your friend on a quest to find her."_

_I nodded, despite my confusion._

* * *

><p><em>Right after that...<em>

_-l-Unknown-l-_

_" Ella isn't it?"_

_I nodded stiffly. I had been summoned back after my branding. And that was awful, my mark still burned._

_" You serve me do you not?"_

_I kept my walls tightly sealed, even as I felt him try to push through._

_" To the death," I replied obediently._

_" You will be my spy. I command you to be my spy, you will join Dumbledore's Order," he instructed._

_I bowed my head. " Yes my Lord."_

_He waved a hand. " Go, you are dismissed. But do not forget Ella, you are a muggleborn, and I know of your boyfriend as well. If you turn against me, and join _him _I will see to it that you are killed."_

_I gulped. " Of course my Lord."_

_I bowed low and ran out, opened a window, and jumped out, disapparating as I did so. It was a common thing for Death Eaters, because beyond these walls you could disapparate. The only two exits were the top of the tower, or else the very bottom. Therefore, the quickest way out was the windows, which were only openable from the inside._

_It was simple and easy._

_I straightened my robes when I arrived._

_I walked up the gravel path, only turning to spot a thestral. It's gleaming eyes flickered to me, and it flapped its leathery wings, not at all threatening, but trotted up all the same._

_I'd heard about these creatures before. Only seen by those who had seen death. I closed my eyes, I had seen death before. Recently, a muggle who the Death Eaters had tortured to death for information before killing._

_I made the long walk up to the Headmaster's office, pausing once or twice to duck as a student walked past. Only the Gryffindors would be able to actually blow my cover, as they were the only ones who would actually recognize me._

_I shouted passwords at the gargoyle before it opened, and I ran, tripping rather unceremoniously, before I reached the top._

_" Professor?"_

_" Ah...to what do I owe this late pleasure?" Albus Dumbledore smiled slightly, turning as though he expected me._

_" I've heard of your Order of the Phoenix, if I'm not much mistaken sir. And I wanted to join."_

_He hesitated, then went over to his desk, pulling out a long sheet of paper. " Write your name."_

_I blinked, and took the quill he offered. " My name sir?"_

_He nodded. " I want your name, just to see how many Order members I have."_

_" Of course sir," I signed my name in elegant ink._

_" Will that be all?" he asked, now folding the parchment up._

_I nodded. " When's the next meeting?"_

" Next Tuesday," I reported.

" Good," the Dark Lord turned to his followers, instructing a few of them as spies to look in from outside. I would be one of those on the inside. I smirked, ready to serve my master.

" You will be at that meeting and report to me later all that happens."

I nodded. " I will."

" Good. Regulus will see you in, and the rest of us will wait for you," he motioned Regulus forward.

Regulus approached, and I could see him pulling his wand out, at the ready.

I landed after disapparation, in front of one of the safe houses. Regulus pulled me back before I could leave, placing a fast kiss on my lips. He pulled back, gray eyes worried. " Come back to me Ella." He lowered his head slightly, and I took it as my real name, which he would not speak aloud.

" I will. I promise."

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><p>You should be confused right now. It's alright. Just understand that the first unknown is a different person than the second. The ones in italics are flashbacks, while the normal writing is well..present.<p>

And I've been writing my Chapter 8, and I've got to tell you, it's really long. I'm not sure when I'll have time to type it, but it'll be up by Sunday I promise. Otherwise you can form a huge mob complete with pitchforks and torches and come after me.


	8. Faith in a Shadowed Past

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Eight: Faith in a Shadowed Past**

****Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.****

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and americanathogwarts.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long. It wasn't the length actually, it was because I got sick on Friday...and well, then I couldn't actually read what I'd written. So I couldn't type it...and well...let's just move on.**

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><p>-l-Ressa-l-<p>

Some say love is your strength. The one thing you can lean on when you have nothing else. That love makes you stronger, and makes you who you truly are. Love is strong, it can get through anything they say. But they're wrong. Love didn't make it through this war. Whoever it was, that James boy if I can believe him, he didn't love me. Otherwise he would have stayed.

But no. When he got the chance, he fled, running away from me, and everything else.

Love is a downfall. Your greatest weakness, and the consequence of being human. Someday or another, you fall in love, and you won't stop falling. You'll fall every day, like that, for the rest of your life.

Some say it is your strength, I say it is your weakness.

* * *

><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

" Will you join our forces?" the voice was oddly calm, soft, almost soothing. Almost. There was a demand in the voice, not just a gentleness.

" No." The honey-gold eyes glared, defiant, despite the pain of the curse.

The man behind the hood nodded to his partner, and his partner knelt, holding a silver knife, glistening with blood, to the man's skin. And in a quick motion, cut another thin streak of blood on the werewolf's skin.

The werewolf snarled at the pain, and lowered his head, submitting to the Death Eater. Only then did they heal his wounds, and capture him, taking him back to Headquarters.

One of the vampires turned, in the dead of night, he was a quick killer. He glared, coal black eyes and bared glistening fangs, in a clear threat that he would kill, and he was shot by the Killing Curse only a moment later.

Screams everywhere, in this little village, there were muggles and wizards alike. This was what the Death Eaters relished in, letting flashing curses take down even the strongest of muggles. Some favored torture, while others preferred a quick, clean, painless kill.

" Release them all!"

The Death Eaters took up their command at once, now in a full on sprint into the village. Some of them were flying, then everything flashed at once, witches screamed as the Cruciatus Curse hit them. And for a few, a simple green jet of light hit them and they crumpled, unmoving to the ground as speeding death took over.

Now, curses flew everywhere. And among the fray was Ressa, she had pulled her hood back to reveal her dazzling green eyes, but only for an instant before they no longer shone. Now a hatred had replaced all sympathy. It was a show of how great her training went. She no longer flinched at their screams, but used that as a moment of weakness to strike them down.

She fought, ducking curses, and throwing a couple of her own nonverbally, fast and many of them were dark curses, banned by the Ministry. But at least she didn't use Unforgivables yet.

She herself had been hit a few times, once by a hot curse, which burned her arm slightly, and another which had caused a gash on her shoulder.

" Not my child! No!"

A woman blocked a Death Eater from killing her daughter, taking the curse for her.

Ressa turned, her concentration broken for an instant. She shot down the muggleborn who she was dueling and ran, blocking the Death Eater from killing her, the little girl, who was trembling, her long red hair streaming down her back, and her blue eyes wavering with terror.

" No," Ressa's voice was cold, yet firm, even though she faced one of her own.

The Death Eater slowly lowered his wand.

" A Stolen," she whispered. " She'll be a Stolen."

The Death Eater nodded and turned to another muggle, shouting out another curse.

But instead, Ressa turned to another muggleborn. " Take her away. Far away."

" B-but, I can't," the woman was shaking. The woman had no wand to apparate, and was probably too terrified to anyway.

Ressa grabbed both and apparated, leaving them at the one place called home. Hogwarts.

" Please, she'll be a Stolen if you don't take her," Ressa pleaded.

The woman still looked terrified. " Her name..." she whispered, she looked at the child." I know this little girl," she managed in a shaky voice. " You saved her, I will not turn you in for your deed. Her name is Faith."

Ressa hesitantly looked at the little girl. " Faith," she murmured.

Faith's blue eyes locked with Ressa's for an instant.

" Your parents loved you Faith. They died to save you. I saved you, don't you ever forget that they love you. They'll always be with you," she kissed the girl's cheek lightly.

As she turned to leave, the woman spoke again. " Which side do you really fight for?"

Ressa turned back, her green eyes seeking Faith's, and Faith held her gaze. " I don't know anymore," she whispered, before she whirled on the spot, turning to join the battle again.

But this time, though she fought with the Death Eaters, it felt wrong. And she was trapped between sides, accepted by the one that felt wrong and shunned by the one that felt right. She noticed it first, a shift in their balance.

From them winning with ease to...Aurors. The Aurors were coming.

She stepped back from a vampire, pulling her hood up. " RUN!" her cry echoed through the battle. And she yanked her hood up, seeing at least fifteen others do the same.

The order was clear, but the reason was not. The Death Eaters all ran, moving as one, running as she had shouted.

Now reason was clear. The Aurors had shielded them all from disapparating, but as soon as you got past the shields you were safe.

Suddenly, Ella's voice rang out clear. " Reg! Regulus! Regulus, where are you?"

Ressa turned back, she didn't know Ella personally but she knew Regulus was important. Come to think of it, so was Ella. The girl was Regulus's strength, and without her they would lose him as well.

" Ella! Ella come on!"

The Aurors were coming on fast, and yet Ella stayed.

" He'll be okay!" Ressa shouted, grabbing Ella's wrist to pull her back.

Ella turned, her blue eyes burned fiercely. " You don't know that. I love him Ressa. I can't lose him... I love him...please," she tried to pull away.

Ressa shook her head. " We'll find him."

Ella ran, only because she saw the Aurors closing in, but then she stumbled and stopped, her eyes turned to the last Death Eater. He was fighting the Aurors, whoever he was. He hadn't been fast enough to get away, then his cry rang out. " Obliviate!" Before he collapsed, having erased his own memories, so they wouldn't...no couldn't see his true memories.

Ella whirled back, not caring, only wanting to find Regulus Black.

But Ressa again, pulled her back, this time able to get them over the shields and disapparate, right before Ella tried again to pull away.

Their feet hit the floor, and then, all hell broke loose.

" NO!" she screamed. " NO! LET ME GO!" she yanked away from Ressa. " I have to go back! I love him! He can't be...he can't!" her screams turned into wails.

Then she backed up, pressing her back against the wall shrieking and sobbing. Other Death Eaters began to gather around, not sure what had happened. Some backed away from her. Those who hadn't gone on the mission stared, because this was Ella. She was one of their strongest fighters.

Severus made his way through the crowd, uncorking a flask. Ressa, his apprentice and partner approached the hysterical girl. Severus knelt to where she had crumpled to the ground, still crying. Slowly Ressa sat down next to her mentor, tilting Ella's head up, and as she screamed, Severus forced the potion down. For a moment she struggled still, and then she collapsed, the calming draught having done its job.

Severus looked around at the crowd as they murmured to one another.

" She'll be fine," he proclaimed after a long pause. Then someone broke through the crowd, near as hysterical as she had been.

" Ella!" the boy dropped down next to her. Regulus, only just sixteen and not able to call himself a man yet. " What happened?"

" She was merely overly emotional," Severus replied, straightening up. " She's been given a calming draught and should wake up within the next hour or so. Though, if you don't calm down I'll give you one as well," he threatened slightly.

Ressa smiled slightly, touching Regulus's arm lightly. " I assure you she'll be fine."

Regulus ignored Ressa, scooping Ella up in his arms and carrying her to her room. Ressa made to follow him, but Severus stopped her with a look.

" Don't. She'll be fine, and Regulus will be find once he calms down," Severus said, watching as Regulus sat down next to the bed to wait for Ella to awaken.

Ressa turned her gaze to Severus. " She really loves him, doesn't she?"

Severus gave no reply.

" I believe the Dark Lord requested you," another Death Eater spoke.

" Of course," Severus bowed slightly and followed the other, leaving Ressa in the empty hallway.

Ressa ignored his orders and entered, and Regulus looked up from watching Ella.

" She'll be alright," Ressa assured him. " I made the potion myself."

Regulus sighed. " I remember you from school. I don't remember your name though."

Ressa pulled her hood back. " Lily."

Regulus looked from her to Ella. " You knew Ella."

" I did?" Lily asked, unsure of who this girl was.

" She was your best-"

" Ressa, come on, we have another mission," Severus said, poking his head in and scowling at her.

Ressa jumped up, quickly pulling her hood up and saying a quick farewell to Regulus.

" Now what?" she asked irritably, eyes narrowed at her partner. Despite being beneath the Potions Master in rank, she kept her boldness.

" We have a hunt for Order members. Again. This time it's two of them, they are checking out our raid, we're going to find their Headquarters. Or so we hope."

Ressa huffed and nearly rolled her eyes. " Fine."

They walked down one of the many halls. Their own Headquarters had four floors, then another three underground. The rooms were all along the edges of the square shape, and surrounded a square hole in the middle which went straight down to the bottom of the building. So technically you could jump and land at the bottom, or the ground floor since that's where it ended. The square was more for disapparation purposes than anything.

The four floors above ground were actual rooms for Death Eaters to sleep. Well some of them. Most of the rooms were training rooms for those who weren't trained or were advancing their skills.

Ella was an apprentice in Dark Magic, meaning any Dark Curses, and not just Unfogivables. Nonverbal curses and shielding were common in this force. Regulus had trained her well in that.

Ressa was an apprentice in Potions, under the training of Severus, as well as advancing in her training in Magical Creatures, which fell under Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Severus only kept up with his training with others who used nonverbal spells, never killing though. Then there was wandless magic, which was hard to accomplish, even with simple spells.

Ressa had strong magic by nature, and she showed her wandless magic was advanced for her age. She couldn't do any real magic yet, but being able to throw sparks at someone had to count for something. Severus was slightly ahead, though he'd been training longer, and already was learning how to actually aim his sparks, and a few hover charms though it wasn't as easy as a wand.

Ressa and Severus stepped off of the hallway, dropping through the square in the middle of the building and disapparated. Their feet hit grass, and Ressa looked around, taking in the new surroundings. It didn't seem like where their raid had been, and yet Severus was able to point out the two Order members they were after.

They were both young, one with light blonde, short hair and blue eyes. The other with brownish-red hair, and they were talking casually.

" The Order is recruiting members, and they are taking on a lot from what it seems," Ressa whispered, reading the man's mind.

Severus focused on the brown haired man, not blinking, and only seemed to fall into an odd trance. Ressa knew that look all too well. He was trying to invade the mind of the other. The man turned, looking at both Death Eaters, and he blinked, then froze up. The man's friend tried to shake him out of it, and all the while Ressa knew that Severus had broken through. Eye contact was a weakness in the human body, letting you though into their mind.

Eye contact had broken the man's mind a bit and Severus had gotten in. Touching someone directly was the quickest way to get to their mind, though in this case that clearly wasn't going to happen.

Finally, he relaxed and Severus pulled back from the man's mind. " He's in the Order. It's not far from here, Headquarters I mean. From what I got, they switch where they meet every few weeks."

" Makes sense," Ressa muttered. " You think Dumbledore would ever hold a meeting at Hogwarts?"

Severus watched the two men walk away, his eyes glancing at the other man who seemed extremely nervous. He looked around. Suddenly, a wolf leapt forward, black fur gleaming with golden eyes. The other man bounded after his friend, changing into a russet colored wolf with exotic blue eyes.

" Polyjuice potion," Ressa murmured, for the brown wolf was a she-wolf. The two wolves took off, heads held high and tails held like banners.

Ressa watched them go, an idea forming in her head. The cry of a phoenix made her look up. It almost looked like Fawkes, but lacked the distinctive markings. Ressa sighed, holding out her arm to let him land.

After a few minutes she let him go, flying off in a flutter of red and gold.

" What if they're animagus?" she asked, " Spying on us?" She pointed to where the wolves had vanished.

" Animagus? What are you on about?" Severus gave her a skeptical look.

" What if they're using animagus to spy on us? Unregistered ones?" Ressa suggested.

" We have to tell the Dark Lord, see what he says."

* * *

><p>And if you didn't get the whole polyjuice thing, yeah...well...that's kinda, umm...reasonable. So they were both men. Then when they changed into wolves, one was a female. That being her animagus, she was a female wolf. So...she was using polyjuice potion. The other person was actually her husband...<p> 


	9. Fatal Predictions

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Nine: Fatal Predictions**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

**Okay this is just a filler. Plus it's important, I just had to get the prediction in there somehow. **

* * *

><p>-l-James-l-<p>

I stood still, or as still as I could. As a wolf burst through the trees, I pricked my ears intently.

" She's on their side. They saw _them _and Severus knows legilimency. He got through to one of them. She got scared and ran," Remus managed. " I think she's figured it out though. Lily has, she knows about Animagus."

I stamped one hoof.

" Don't look at me like that," he retorted irritably.

I reared and stamped both forelegs.

" Padfoot is going to send word to Headquarters. You and I are going straight to Dumbledore, though I daresay he's taken flight," Remus scanned the skies, his sharp wolf eyes taking in things much quicker.

I finally let my fur give away to skin, and took my usual form, dropping a few inches. " At this time?"

Remus nodded. " Yes. My partners ran after Snape's show of legilimency. I ran here, I think Severus's has figured it out as well."

I stepped backwards, skin melting into fur, arms and legs sprawled into spindly legs. I shook my antlers, taking a second to get my balance back.

Remus chuckled and leapt forward, changing in midair. He snarled, just for fun, and jumped at me, teeth bared. His amber eyes sparkled, and he ran in a circle, barking a lot like a dog. I jumped at him, causing him to start and leap backwards, even as I nipped his shoulder and charged away, him at my heels.

I galloped up to the castle, hooves clattering on the stairs when I slowed to a stop. Remus barked, nipping my heels, and stopping when he noticed the flash of scarlet. He barked, leaping high in the air, his teeth closing on a fiery orange feather. He barked again, and I shook, changing back.

The phoenix soared down, wings spread, eyes beady and he changed back.

I opened my mouth, but before I could begin he did.

" There is a reason that now they can know. Ressa must be found and kidnapped," he nodded to the wolf. " You know what to do."

The wolf bowed its head, and bounded down the steps, powerful shoulders propelling him forward, and in an instant his tail had vanished.

Dumbledore watched him go, then turned, apparating away.

-l-Dumbledore-l-

The woman sat, reading my tea leaves, which she claimed would predict my future. She set the porcelain cup back on the table, tutting under her breath. " You will meet a stranger tonight, and he will help you to hunt the one that you seek."

I turned my head, seeing into her thoughts. She was puzzling over who this stranger was. " Reasonable," I declared after a moment. Considering I was planning to meet someone soon, who wasn't a stranger though.

" I have another prediction. I can feel it involves you, but not so directly."

She paused, and went on. _" A girl of only nineteen, has fallen with he of eighteen. They will tie their knot at the arch before the sixth month falls. She has turned against those who knew her, and only answers to him. She will betray the side she once clung to, and fall deeper into the one with him. And as the seventh month falls, a servant will turn against his master. For that his master will kill him, while the girl falls dead at the servant's feet."_

I sat, quiet, stirring my tea leaves. " Thank you," I replied finally, and she ducked out of my office, leaving me alone to mull over what she had said. A servant would turn against Lord Voldemort? And the girl who turned bad, would be killed by him?

* * *

><p>Anyone THINK they know who the girl is? The one who is said to die before the end of July? And any predictions on what might happen?<p> 


	10. Change Of Heart

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Ten: Change of Heart**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

**I bet a lot of you wanted this chapter...it's the turning point. **

* * *

><p><em>A peek into Annabelle's past...<em>

_-l-Annabelle-l-_

_My father had short, black hair, the same color as mine, but cold, emotionless dark brown eyes. I stood there, trembling, the paper in my hand shaking just as bad. It was my eleventh birthday, and the worst day of my life. _

_" Dad?" I asked, hardly daring to. _

_" Another one, Sarah?" he asked, ignoring me and turning on my mother. _

_" You stay away from her, she didn't do anything," my mother replied, putting herself in front of me. _

_" A witch? She's another person to lose to that life?" he shouted. _

_I shook my head. " No daddy! I'm not like her, I won't be." _

_My mother turned to me. " You will be. You are," her bright blue eyes sparkled with pride. _

_" I'm nothing like you!" I snapped, " I'm not a witch. I won't go. I won't learn." _

_" She won't go," my father stated. " Then what will you do?" _

_My mother turned to face me now. " You won't be what you are?" _

_I shook my head. My brother, Chris, walked up next to me, he was my half brother, and a bit younger than me. " Please go Anna. I've seen them too. They've talked to me Anns, and they aren't like dad said." _

_I turned to him, father's same brown eyes, but mother's hair, turned to the softest of gold. " Please," he repeated. _

_I glanced at my father, who slowly shook his head. " Please don't go to them Anna." _

_Chris slowly smiled. _

_" Yes, I'll go." _

_My father gave me the oddest of looks. " I'm leaving. Goodbye Anns," he knelt down, giving me a hug. _

_" Don't leave daddy," I pleaded, tears stinging my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. _

_He shook his head. " I can't stay anymore Anna," he kissed my head. " I've always loved you." _

_" Dad, don't leave us," Chris begged, despite that, he didn't follow his father. Our father. His own mother hadn't wanted him, we'd taken him in...and now our father was leaving us. All alone. Minus my mother, who I didn't care for as much as my father. _

_He smiled slowly, " I love you Anna. But life isn't always easy, and I didn't ask for a witch for a wife." _

_" Or a daughter," I added softly. _

_He shook his head. " You're still my daughter, and you bear my name Annabelle. As long as you have my name, I'll be with you. I'll always love you." _

_I cried, silently, even as he walked to the door. My mother still stood there, not wanting another fight...so she let him go. And he walked right out of her life. _

_" Goodbye," he murmured, and the door clicked closed. _

* * *

><p>-l-Ressa-l-<p>

The Death Eaters were in their lineup, waiting for the Dark Lord, who walked in, and glanced almost bored by us. His followers meant nothing to him. Easy to recruit, just bribe them. And easily disposed of if they weren't proper. Killing curses and raids seemed to take their tole on all of them. He knew few of them, was attached to even less, and cared for none.

" You!" he snapped, and the Death Eater's head lowered, and the man stepped forward.

" And you!" he barked, at another. Only maybe twenty or twenty five followed out his orders on raids. He tended to favor the new ones, in hopes of knocking a few off, and then the more experienced, who would be expert killers. He never followed them into battle, no, that was their job, to defend themselves.

Out there, in battle, there was only one rule. Don't fall down. Because, out there, once you were down, you never got back up. And fighters from both sides would ensure that. You fought for yourself and under _his _orders. No one cared out there, you didn't have a partner or anyone. You fought to survive another day.

" Ressa! Ella!"

I quickly stepped forward to join the others. Ella moved at my side, and I saw Regulus's eyes dart from Ella to the other Death Eaters, as though deciding if they would be enough. I looked at them as well, realizing that many of them were Fresh, meaning newly trained. They had yet to see true battle. I snorted softly, everyone knew that Freshes were the ones who apparated as soon as a killing curse flew at them. I rolled my eyes, and Severus strode over, as usual, picked for his skills in the Dark Arts. Regulus looked increasingly nervous, until he was picked, at which, he sprinted to Ella, standing next to her.

She laughed, shaking her head and pushed him over before kissing him. Their relationship was no secret, but the depth of it was. Ella had only told me, and the priest to who it was arranged with, that she was secretly engaged.

Ella, the girl who had never trusted anyone with her heart, but finally let it go, now she loved Regulus. Better yet, he loved her back. It had always been true, but now she really would do anything for the one she loved. She went with the Dark Lord to be with him, and fight at his side. She bore the burn of the Dark Mark to share the burn of it with him. She stood with him, unmoving, her loyalty never wavered, and she had a good, pure heart.

I had my heart set on someone else. My partner and best friend. He didn't know it yet, and I kept my shields up, and my heart locked away. I learned to feel nothing, it was part of my training, not to meet another's eyes, and to keep them out of my mind. And protect Severus from the truth.

" Your mission is an attack on a known safe house of the Order. Alice and Frank Longbottom."

I pulled out my wand, and polished it for a long moment, half listening to the rest of the Dark Lord's speech, not really needing it. I had gone on so many raids before, heard so many screams and been cursed so many times, I didn't need the advice.

Next to me, Ella fidgeted a bit, Regulus chewed his lip, and even Severus seemed uncomfortable. I chewed my tongue and said nothing, I had no idea what was going on, but the name Longbottom did ring a bell. In my past memories, memories that seemed to be blocked from my viewing. But they were still there. I opened my mind, and turned to meet Severus's eyes, which flickered as he read my thoughts.

Then I pulled my mind back, put up my shields and tried to find the opening in his mind. It was slow, and he took a long moment to lower his shields. And when he did, his reply was short. _" You knew them."_ That left me puzzled, yet I knew lowering our shields was risky in public, especially when so many others shared the ability.

" You must be fast, and I want two Order members captured and found."

We nodded, noting that for later. He motioned, and we all left.

" All accounted for?" someone shouted.

Then we paused, someone counting up the numbers and concluded that we had a good twenty strong.

" GO!" and we all jumped, into the square shaped hole designed for these raids, together, and vanished in an instant.

We appeared on the rough gravel of a driveway. Our hoods pulled up high, and our masks on for the first time. The mask was made of metal, and only hid the top half of our faces, and it was dark...empty, no one in sight.

No one spoke, for we didn't need to. We all took in the darkness, and the surroundings. It was night, a few shrubs, but otherwise we were out in the open. It was grassy, a few dips in the uneven ground. There were three buildings. All of them houses, and they looked like cottages to me. Two were completely dark, and next to a dim-lit one, there was a greenhouse. The cottage supposedly belonging to the Longbottoms. I peeked in the greenhouse, which was empty of people, but there were still plants.

One caught my eye, a white lily in a vase, and next to it lay a dying red rose, nearly blackened.

We crept closer to the house, hoping to find them. In the darkness, and the smudged windows, it was hard to make anything out. One candle was lit, the wick just touching the nub of the candle, and a few more minutes and we would be plunged into darkness. I scanned the cozy looking room. There were squishy armchairs, and a muggle-like setting, a TV completing it.

Then, there was a pop, signaling an apparation. Two people appeared, one a man, Frank Longbottom, and the other supposedly Alice Longbottom. Alice...it rang a bell as well. I only had a few seconds to puzzle over it though, before there was a shout.

" Get down!" the man pushed his wife into the shadows of the house, and she vanished from view. Someone shot a spell, blazing green, at the man. He dodged, but only just.

The woman screamed, and disapparated.

Someone stepped forward to fight the man, who seemed to handle two Death Eaters rather well, while at least five others raided his house. Then he stumbled, just as the man fell, several pops sounded. I was forced to duck, just as someone blasted the greenhouse, which shattered, and I turned away from the glass.

An Order member leapt forward to fight for the man on the ground. While another pulled him up, something that would never happen on our side. If you were down, no one cared about you anymore.

-l-Third-l-

She was fighting, who was it, James? And as Ressa looked past him, to the surrounding battle, she turned, and as she did so, Ressa met his hazel eyes. And for a single second, something sparked in them.

_" I love you Lily," his hazel eyes, the exact same, as they sparkled with mischief and the usual soft sweetness. " You know that right?" _

_" I know that James. You said you've loved me since that day by the lake," Lily reminded him. That day, with white lilies in his hands, and the other Marauders, a day she vowed she would never forget. _

_He grinned, the same gentleness in his eyes. " You've not said it back." _

_Lily looked up from reading. " You know that I do though," his eyes flickered away, and he smiled slightly. His eyes betraying his sadness. " I do love you James...I love you and you know it." _

She nearly dropped her wand, he had done something. He had made her remember. In her moment of shock, he pulled her to the other side of the damaged greenhouse, grabbing her shoulders and slamming her into the building.

" Please don't Lily. I can't curse you Lily, I love you too much."

Ressa couldn't pull away, she was pinned, and something had caught her attention.

" How do you know it's me?" Ressa asked, her emerald green eyes locked on him.

He pulled her mask up, not enough to pull it off, but enough to see her bright green eyes. " I still love you Lily. Your mask can't hide who you are."

Lily didn't run, but stood, her eyes still locked on him.

He hesitated, fighting something he knew he was going to regret. He kissed her, in the middle of the raid, not caring that he'd regret it, or the fact she didn't even remember him. Even though she had no memory of him, and no idea who she belonged with, she kissed him back. And in that one, blissful moment, it didn't matter if he loved her, or even that they were on opposite sides of the battle. This was their moment, no matter how wrong it felt. The sweetest sin of all.

He pulled back first. " I love you," he whispered, and then, he was gone, leaving her open-mouthed and breathless.

Ressa pressed her back against the wall, her eyes closed, and she let out a shaky breath. What was she doing? She couldn't love him, and yet somewhere, her heart had already been stolen by him. He could get through to her when no one else could. He drove her crazy, plagued her mind. His eyes haunted her when she closed her own. She had kissed him, and he was a good kisser, but it ran deeper than that. He didn't kiss her in desperation, just to kiss someone who needed to feel for once. He kissed her like he truly loved her, and wanted nothing more than for her to love him back.

She trembled, fumbling with her wand. No one else had ever been able to snap her concentration. Right now, her mind wasn't shielded, and the strength it took for her to even try...With a great effort, she locked her shields in place after Severus's fourth yell at her that she was hurting his head.

Whenever he tried to read minds, it usually took no effort on his part. It was more of an instinctive thing, to try to read what they were thinking. But with her mind open, her shields down, she was just screaming out her thoughts, and it was overwhelming to him.

She struggled with her mask for a second, slid it on, pulled her hood up and tried to shake off most of the shock.

Severus appeared at her side, pulling her hood back. " What happened?"

Ressa took in a deep breath. " He kissed me."

For a moment he was silent, and it took him a moment to react, and when he did, for a brief instant his lips touched hers. Then he was pulling away as well, " I love you Ress," he whispered.

She seemed to be pulled out of it. " Love you too," she murmured, and she pulled herself up from the ground. " I think," she added under her breath, and praying she hadn't just lied.

* * *

><p>Two of the Order were captured, while only one of ours was captured by the Order. And before he was taken, he screamed 'obliviate' just as they were all trained to, so they would never know our secrets.<p>

Ressa now sat against the door of her room, head on her knees, and knees pulled up to her chest. I love him, she repeated silently. Though the whole time, she knew she was only lying to herself. She didn't love Severus, or not more than a friend.

But whoever he was, whatever his name, she'd fallen in love with him. One way or another, that boy had captured her heart and made her fall in love with him. But for another reason unknown, she felt like she'd fallen before, and this only got to her even more. Bad enough that he was in the Order, her enemy, but worse that he could make her fall in love like that.

Her greatest weakness.

He was her hero, he'd saved her from the darkness that she didn't know she had. And she, with her love, was going to cure this broken boy. The one who had, had his heart torn apart by her before. An angel in a devil's disguise, fiery red hair and sparkling green eyes, and yet a heart that belonged with his. But separated by the veil of truth and lies, all controlled by the one man she claimed she loved.

It hurt to think that he was the one. Because she did love him, and she held him at an undeniable, unwavering loyalty. Like Ella did with Regulus. The loyalty that had begun to tremble, and fall. Walls crashed down, and Ressa cried for the doubt she felt.

A knock at the door, and she sat bolt upright. She closed her eyes and willed him to leave, then she slowly opened her eyes when he knocked again.

" Yes?" she reluctantly opened the door.

" Merlin Ress, you look a awful," he commented.

Ressa dismissed the insult, and got to the point. " I'm a Captured, aren't I?" she asked.

Severus shook his head, " No."

" I love him, and I don't know why. I see things that I can't with others. He brings back memories that _aren't _mine," she explained. " They aren't my memories, and I don't know who he is, or what he wants. I only know that I love him."

Severus looked past her. " I saved you from death."

Ressa stood up from where she had sat down on the floor. " I don't need your help! I can save my own life!"

" They would have _killed_ you!" Severus shouted, glaring at her.

" Then you should have let them! I'd rather die being true than to live a life of lies!" Ressa screamed, tears falling freely now.

" I couldn't have just stood there...and watched them kill you," Severus whispered, his eyes pained and scared. A look she'd never seen in those eyes. And it seemed to unlike him to look like that. " I loved you then as I still do now, Ressa."

Lily turned on him. " Don't call me that. Don't you _ever_ call me that again. My name is Lily Evans, and they can kill me for that if they want to."

" Lily, they did try to kill you. I almost died telling you to join, and to have to curse you..."

" What did you do?" she whispered, her voice entering the danger zone.

" I had to Lily, I didn't have a choice!"

" You made me a Captured! You made me one of _them_! I thought I got a concussion! I thought I was meant to join you! I thought you loved me!" Each word she accentuated with sparks that flew from wandless magic.

Then they both raised their wands, stepping forward, so now they stood, feet apart, wands aimed at one another's throats. Fire and anger coursed through Lily's eyes, while Severus's showed guilt and shame.

" Don't make me curse you Lily," Severus warned. " I don't want to have to."

" You've cursed me before, what's stopping you now?" Lily snapped. " Tell me what you did to make me join you."

" I took away your memories," Severus replied. " I made you a Captured."

" I've been here...for two and a half years. And you couldn't tell me then?" Lily asked, running through the memories that she did have.

Who was she really?

* * *

><p><strong>So by now you should all know Annabelle is a spy and Ressa-er, Lily, is a Captured.<strong>

**You should also know that Annabelle is secretly engaged...and don't forget the prediction...*hint hint***

**And the look into Annabelle's past, it explains almost everything about how she acts now. She's supposedly clingy to guys, but it's just her being afraid to lose them like she did her father.**

**You also know how long she's been a Death Eater...two and a half years. That's a long time.**

And sorry for any mistakes, it was really long, and so I didn't really feel like editing a lot, and if my beta missed any errors, blame me.


	11. Bonds of Brotherhood

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Eleven: Bonds of Brotherhood**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome.**

**A bit of sweetness for Valentine's Day. Very short looking, but it looked longer on paper. *shrugs* oh well, I hope to update soon. **

* * *

><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

If you had looked at the old raid from months ago, you would have seen them. One of them, as red as fire, with bright black eyes, leader of two other dogs, both of them an inky black, and brown eyed. They trotted around the raid site, noses to the ground. The red one, Strawberry, returned to the grass, muzzle lifted, ears pricked.

The single bark, loud in the stretched silence. But it called a pair of dog and wolf. The wolf was a head taller than the black, shaggy dog that ran at its side. The two Marauders, they ran in, sniffing around as well.

Padfoot padded into the shattered greenhouse, and momentarily sniffed at the white lily, which next to it lay a black rose. Before the dog could investigate further, the wolf howled, and the dog bolted away, muzzle lowered to catch the scent.

They chased the scent to the greenhouse and then to the house, and were able to trace most of what happened.

James had met Ressa at the greenhouse, something went down between them, and James shot off in one direction, while Ressa remained there, then fought more Order members before they captured two and took off.

Moony whined, sniffing at a bit of Death Eater cloak, torn by some sort of spell. The scent wasn't easily detected, but faintly it smelled of people, lots of people. And fear, only detected by dogs and wolves, there was the fear-scent.

Moony turned to Padfoot. " _There_."

Padfoot whined. " _There_?"

Moony dipped his head, wagging his tail slightly. Padfoot responded with a bark, then took his place at Moony's side, changing back so they could disapparate. The wolf's golden eyes gleamed with excitement, while Sirius's were solemn.

There was the usual, awful feeling of disapparation, and then they landed, Sirius as Padfoot again, staring up at the large building. It was tall, dark gray, and made of solid brick. A dome shape at the top, and that covered the hole that went right through the whole building for disapparation only. It loomed above the pair, and Moony was first to move, more daring in his wolf shape.

He trotted forward fearlessly, nudging the door open after a second. Padfoot followed, slightly more cautious since he'd never been here other than capture. Moony took the lead, his brown tail just vanishing into the darkness. Padfoot blended right in, except for his gray eyes, which stood out against the blackness.

The mission, that's why they were here. The phoenix's orders, at which Padfoot half wished he could fly. Fly away from this war, and all the problems in life. From having a heartbroken, half living friend, to having a family that hated him, disowned him, and went as far as nearly killing him. Then add on a brother who had gone in too deep into the Dark Arts, and you nearly had his life completed. Break away from this life, take flight into another's, and see how hard life could be.

They were instructed to find her, the girl who had broken his best friend. Who had turned him into stone, and had been able to make his friend have nightmares. Some of them about Death Eaters, and others when Lily was a Death Eater. Then that nightmare came true, when she caught them, trapped them down in the basement and denied her old name. The nightmares continued, and now, they were filled with the fear that she could kill him. For Sirius to lose his best friend, that would crush him. James was like his brother, the brother he never had after Regulus was pulled away into the Dark Arts, and the Dark Lord's orders.

Padfoot sighed. This was a bad idea. Sure, he'd had his share of moments over the years, but this was just insane. Well, next to him dropping pies on Mrs. Norris, it wasn't _that _bad of an idea, but it was still in the top five. It made no sense. From what he could smell, there were hundreds of different people in that one building.

Finding one, that was near impossible. And add on the fact that there were probably a thousand rooms as well, and they might as well be looking for a wand in a haystack. The chances of finding her, and her alone, that wouldn't happen. Plus, there was no saying what was in there. Sure, he'd seen the inside _once_. But that one time wasn't enough to know where he was actually going. Moony however, he was trotting ahead, not taking any notice of where he was going.

Padfoot had to half-suspect that it was because Moony had a stronger connection to Lily. But still, he was the rational one. Usually he would think this through, not wing it. In a case like this, even Padfoot knew that winging it was not quite the best idea.

Yet he still padded forward, each pawstep seemed to take more of an effort. Fear prickled at his fur, and all his instincts told him to run. If Snape saw them, and he was sure to be with Lily, they would be dead. How were they supposed to find her anyway?

A scream alerted Moony, and he jerked his head up, in the process of going up the stairs, and he froze, muzzle lifted.

" STOP!"

Yet the screams didn't stop, they increased. The Cruciatus curse, he suspected, especially from the continuous screams.

Dread filled him, what if those were Order members? Surely the Death Eaters wouldn't try it on themselves, no, they would want someone fresh. Someone who wasn't resistant to the pain yet. Padfoot signaled this to Moony with his teeth and a jerk of his head. Moony's eyes widened, and they sprinted, paws pounding on the stairs, toward the screams.

Moony turned the knob, and the door flew open. All eyes flew to the wolf standing in the doorway, and standing there, two Order members, strapped to a pole, one that seemed to hold up the building, they were covered in scratches. That wasn't Moony's concern. He was more concerned about the man, who wasn't screaming anymore, but stood, shaking and foggy eyed.

That was never a good sign. Padfoot gave a sharp whine, and when he saw the girl, Mary, he snarled, baring fangs. Mary was one of the Order, and she was being used like this? Moony launched himself at another Death Eater, jaws open to kill.

Padfoot tore through the ropes that bound the prisoners, when there was a scream. Moony was blasted backwards, and slammed into the opposite wall, crumpling to the ground with a yelp. The next instant he was up, gold eyes burning with fury, teeth exposed and ready to fight.

Moony growled, deep in his throat, eyes narrowed as the Death Eater who had blasted him back walked forward. There was movement in the crowd, who had been lined up to test the curse. Dark hair, gray eyes, and the man was only a bit shorter than Padfoot as a human. Padfoot snapped his jaws in realization. This wasn't just any Death Eater.

Padfoot stepped forward, passing Moony to face his brother, Regulus Black, hackles raised, snarling, his teeth gleaming in threat. Eyes of the same color and shape as his brother's, fury burned into them, and even deeper, a sorrow that didn't fade.


	12. Kinds of Love

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twelve: Kinds of Love**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

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><p>-l-Ella-l-<p>

There were a lot of times when we captured Order members, some of them would oblivate themselves like we did, while others just stood strong. Until they broke. We would break them one way or another. We were never what you would consider cruel. We never starved them or deprived them of water.

We did use crucio once or twice, but more often than not, they ended up being taught to endure the crucio curse. This was our training grounds for the ones learning to cast the curse. Most couldn't do anymore than give them a twitch or a prick like a needle. I had learned on the job more than anything.

You really had to mean it. You had to have the want to hurt, and cause people pain. You couldn't just say the words. Mary, she was one of the Order members this time around.

She had once been my friend, as well as Lily's. But if she recognized me, she showed no sign other than letting her eyes flicker to me a few times more than necessary. She knew well that if she said my name she would instantly be cursed by no more than fifteen Death Eaters in the room.

Regulus, he stood, observing the lesson, and he was to take data to the Dark Lord. The door flew open, and standing there was a wolf, with sharp, killer golden eyes, and a medium brown color. A sharp whine alerted me to another animal, this one, a black dog, with razor sharp teeth, and grey eyes.

Those grey eyes caught my attention, because they were the exact shape and color of Regulus's. Holding an intelligence beyond a dog, and yet the same blood as Regulus. My mind jumped to one name. Sirius Black, known to be the older brother of Regulus, disowned and thrown out of the family.

Regulus's own eyes widened, and in a split second, he must have realized the same thing. The next second, the wolf launched itself at Regulus, and nonverbally was blasted backwards, crashed into the wall, and was up again, teeth bared.

Then the black dog lunged, snapping his jaws. Eyes narrowed at Regulus, as he turned to fight his brother.

There are different kinds of love. The ones that stay hidden, and then are let free. Like the love I share with him. It is known that I love him, and he knows how much I love him. Proven not just by the mark on my arm, and the mask I wear. For love can't be measured in the amount of times I've said I love him. It can only be measured in how far I would truly go to save him and keep his heart beating. And I would go to the grave if it meant I could keep our love alive, even at the cost of my own life.

There is also the love that is unsaid, and remains that way forever. And in a way, that's what Regulus and Sirius have. Regulus will never say it, in fact he won't even say Sirius's name, but I know he loves his brother. He's done everything he can to protect his brother. He tried to keep his family from disowning him, he defended Sirius, for the first and last time when his mother ran down the stairs, screaming she was going to burn Sirius off the tapestry. And now, out in the real life, what I would call reality, he's still there. Invisible, but still fighting to keep his brother alive. We've never used his house as a safe house, Regulus fears that Sirius might return one day, to take back some of his possessions, and he keeps his brother safe.

And on any raid, Regulus avoids shooting any killing spells, though we all do, he is extremely cautious. I think he's scared that one of those men in the field might be his brother. And to him, blood doesn't matter anymore. Because he holds his family at a higher status than the blood he was born of, or even the Dark Lord's orders.

Regulus stood there, not moving, his eyes locked on the dog's, yet he still did not strike. The wolf behind his friend, growled low in his throat, but still neither brother made a move. Sirius avoids his brother, and when I knew him, he was very silent. He never spoke of his brother, but I knew who his brother is.

It is my belief that he refused to believe that Regulus was going to join. That his brother would never join the Death Eaters. Sirius was the rebel, while Regulus was the goody two shoes. The same physical looks, mostly, the odd, calculating gray eyes, pale skin, and dark hair. Regulus held himself tall and proud, while Sirius slouched and laughed his head off. Sirius, always kind to his friends, laughter sparkling in his eyes. While Regulus was quiet, and never spoke out when he friends made comments. Opposites in their personality. Sirius, fun loving, and prankster, popular and known as the playboy of the school. When really, he did care about most of the girls he dated, he just never really got attached to any of them. And Regulus, who rarely had time to date anyone, and took every relationship seriously, top grades, and noble.

The two Blacks, in their face off. Neither struck or attacked. Yet they didn't back down, eyes locked on each other's matching pair. Both frozen by fear and hate. Two elements that strove against each other, the fear winning in Regulus, and hate in Sirius. Padfoot launched himself at Regulus, who threw him off with a shield charm.

I whipped up a rope and chain, and this time, I froze the dog, managed to tie a rope around his neck, and as the wolf rushed toward me, I gave someone else the chain to loop around his neck.

He was jerked back on the chain, snapping and snarling. Ready to kill his best mate's brother.


	13. Blades of Fury

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Thirteen: Blades of Fury**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

Lily was reading a copy of Dark Arts and Forbidden, completely ignoring Severus, who had just walked in, leaving the door open a crack.

She had flat out refused to speak to him, not even letting him near her, within a five foot radius, and not meeting his eyes at all, ever since their fight. Severus watched her, not daring to speak at once. He still loved her, but now she had shunned him, not saying anything to him.

" Lily?" he asked softly.

For a long moment, the only response he got was a slow blink, and Lily turned a page in her book, still absorbed. " Hmm?"

Suspecting that would be the best response he would get, he held his breath for a moment. " Did you hear about the dog in the training room?"

Lily raised an eyebrow, and lifted her head very slowly from her book and shook her head.

" Well, it had grey eyes," Severus explained slowly. " And there was a wolf too."

Lily lifted her head fully, tossing her hair out of the way. " Grey eyes? That not-"

Severus cut her off, opening the door and dragging in a struggling creature. Pitch black, the dog had its hackles raised, teeth bared and snapped its jaw, narrowly missing Severus's arm. Then he leapt, growling and glaring at Severus. Lily took in his sleek coat, and then the dog turned to face her, head on, and she met the dog's large, beautiful grey eyes.

" Sirius," she breathed, the name foreign on her lips. " He's got Regulus's eyes."

As she said it, the dog lunged forward, teeth snapping together before he changed, muzzle shrinking, paws splitting, ears reshaping and fur fading into skin and slothing. The man leapt to his feet, in a quick motion of wandless magic, he snapped the rope and lunged at Lily.

Severus slammed into Sirius, knocking him over, and the two wrestled viciously, and Lily turned, grabbing her wand from her bedside table. But not fast enough.

Before she could utter an incantation, the wolf struck, breaking the chains vice-like grip, and morphing into a man. He had sandy brown hair, and blue eyes that faded from their original gold. He was fast, managing to get past her, and then, the next instant he knocked her to the ground, and she felt her wand knocked away, and replaced with the cool, sharpness of a blade.

" Stop! Or I'll bite her," he threatened in a low voice.

At first, Lily didn't understand the threat. Bite her? She turned slightly, glimpsing those blue eyes, then realization hit. Werewolf. She cursed herself for not realizing sooner. He was fast, quicker than any usual man, and the fading gold in his eyes...

-l-Lily-l-

I thought of his wolf, how he seemed so closely interlocked with his animagus. He seemed stronger, more confident as a wolf. Almost like second nature to him. Now, though the knife was held steady, I could see hesitancy in his eyes. I held perfectly still, fearful to move for fear that the blade would slip.

Sirius and Severus scrambled up, Severus had his wand out, aimed at the one who had me caught, knife at my neck. While Sirius rose to aim his wand at Severus. We all stood there, in a fierce standoff.

I could feel the tension, and almost smell the fear. I glanced from Severus's wand, to Sirius, and then back to the man who had the knife. I didn't know who would back down first, but Severus was definitely at a disadvantage.

Slowly, Severus's wand wavered and then lowered. " Don't hurt her."

Sirius's wand lowered, and yet still the knife remained, and Severus's eyes flickered from the knife to the man, then his eyes met mine. For a long moment nothing happened, and nothing passed between us. But I saw the hurt and fear that flickered through his eyes. Finally, his lowered slightly, and I sensed the defeat before the words left his mouth.

" Remus...please, don't hurt her. I'll go with you. You can take her back to _him_. I can fix what I did. Two years of wrong is enough, it's over," he said, picking his words carefully. " I'm done."

I felt Remus's grip on the knife relax. But there was more than one reason. Severus was pleading for my life. Not his own, he didn't seem to care what they did to him. He stood there, begging for my life and he wasn't lying. He was willing to die to keep me alive.

What kind of love is that?

Sirius raised his wand, and in that moment, I saw a flash of fury cross his face.

I thought he would kill Severus, and Severus stood there, head bowed slightly, ready to take it all.

" No! Don't kill him! I love him!" I screamed, hardly aware of the words leaving my lips. I had no idea what I was saying, I only knew that they couldn't kill him.

Sirius paused, and Remus instinctively tightened his hold on the knife, and his grip around my wrists that he had bound by magic and behind my back. He pressed the flat of the blade down, in a silent warning.

" What?" Sirius's eyes turned to me. Regulus's same eyes, the exact same...

I lowered my gaze. " Don't kill him. Please."

Sirius looked at Remus, who motioned in some odd way. Remus's blue eyes fixed on Severus, and then he slowly nodded.

Sirius raised his wand, and with a flash of light, bound Sirius's arms as well.

" One sound, and I'll curse you into obliviation," Sirius threatened, being serious, and his eyes watching Severus's every move.

Remus motioned for me to get up, and slowly, I did. " If you run, or try to escape, I'll run you through with this knife," he pressed the sharp of the blade against my neck to ensure I wouldn't dare to move.

I was led out, and he made a motion, quickly withdrawing, yet I still didn't try to run. He pressed a finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet. He ran out to the drop off, and motioned for me to follow. When I did, he replaced the blade with his arm, and threw himself off, with me dragged along.

I heard Severus shout, and he tried to follow me. But Sirius slammed him into the wall, throwing them behind a pillar. I struggled for a second, but when Remus's arm tightened around my neck I froze. We appeared in a normal looking room, of a house, seemingly rather clean.

The next instant, he whirled me to face the wall and bound my legs as well. My arms didn't move, I knew it wouldn't work anyway.

" Stay," he hissed in my ear, and then he was gone.

I slowly turned around, to look at the room. It was painted a light tan, and had boxes of what looked like moving stuff. I stood quietly, because as much as I wanted free, my best friend, he was gone, and I had no idea if he would survive. I was also afraid to take a step, a tiny one, for fear I'd fall on my face. Probably break my nose, I thought to myself. Wouldn't that be lovely? When Remus comes back, ' Why are you bleeding?' I'd probably say something stupid like, 'Oh I fell on my face out of stupidity.' Wouldn't that be a fun conversation?

Then there was a pop, and all three appeared. Remus and Sirius dropped Severus on the ground. Sirius pulled back his sleeve and began to use his wand to clean his wound. Remus pulled back a rip in the fabric on his shoulder and hissed in pain, muttering spells under his breath to heal his own wounds.

I dropped to my knees, Remus took the leg lock spell off, and I dug in Severus's pocket before I found the dittany, and pulled back his robes on his arm and began to apply it.

When I finished, I sat back, and turned to the other two. " I think he'll be okay."

Sirius and Remus were still healing their wounds, and looked like they could care less about Severus's condition.

" We finally found you," Remus said, looking as though he didn't quite believe what he was saying.

I looked between them. " You've been looking for me?"

Remus nodded, pulling out his knife. I glanced at Severus, still out cold.

I slowly turned back to face Sirius and Remus, who still held the knife. Remus gave Sirius a quick glance, and Sirius left.

I backed up slowly, scared that he would kill me. " He made me a Captured," were the first words that came to mind, and they flew out, forming into words, and that was the first thing that came out of my mouth.


	14. Shadows

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Fourteen: Shadows**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

Remus looked at Severus, who had lain unconscious, but was now waking up.

" What happened?" he mumbled, sitting up.

" You were being foolish, nearly got yourself killed and then we brought you here," Lily said, from where she was, eating a piece of toast.

Then he stood up, looking around, and then grabbed his forearm, glancing at Lily as he did so.

Lily leapt up, eyes wide. " Does it burn?" she whispered.

" He's angry. He's calling on us, all of us," Severus replied.

" What did you do?" Remus asked now, directing the question at Severus.

Severus turned his black eyes away from Lily. " I cleared her memory of _him_."

" Who?" Lily asked, while Remus's gaze turned stony.

" James," Remus replied in a cold tone that matched his expression. " James Potter."

Lily sensed the coldness, but didn't pause in her questions. " And who exactly is James Potter?" She turned to Severus, who didn't meet her eyes, looking very interested in the wall. " Sev, who is James?"

" That boy you said you loved."

Lily blinked. She didn't remember ever saying she loved anyone. She cursed her memory. It was his fault after all. " Is he the one who left?" Lily asked, fumbling with the silver chain.

Severus nodded, not even looking at her, or the necklace's chain.

" Open it," Remus instructed, motioning to the necklace he'd put in her trunk those ages ago after James got rejected.

Lily hesitated, ducked her head to take it off, and pulled it over her head. She looked at Remus, meeting his eyes briefly, if only for a second, before she dug her nail into the metal, cracking it open. On the left was a picture, a girl once recognizable as her, kissing a boy, clearly James, sweetly on the lips as she laughed. On the other side, written in elegant letters of gold were the words: "Should our love linger forever." And drawn at the very end, was a silver stag stamped on the bottom.

Lily turned it over in her hands, and on the back of the locket was a silver doe, stamped next to another printing of the stag.

She didn't understand the significance of it, but looked at Remus, who was watching her, smiling sadly. " He kept this all from you Lily, and yet you stayed with him."

Lily closed her eyes, holding the locket tightly. " I know. But I still love him. I know I do. He might have done all of this, and I know it looks horrible to you Remus, but it isn't. It's a gift. It's a miracle that I'm even alive. You don't know all of the story. I would have died if it wasn't for him. I know some of the story, even though it's not in my memory. If I had married James, we would have been attacked, and forced to join. I said what if I said no, and this is what would have happened. Severus would have to try to recruit me, and if I refused, I would die. But...he couldn't. So he made me a Captured when I rejected his offer."

Remus stared at both of us. " How do you know this? Your memory is gone!"

I sighed sadly. " I've been with the Death Eaters long enough to know their ways. When someone offers you a place on the Dark Side, they don't just let you walk away from the deal. It's either you choose to be, or you are forced to be."

" You've changed a lot Lily," Remus said, watching me with calculating eyes.

" So? I'm older...and I'm-"

" That's not what I meant. I've seen you fight. You don't hold back like you used to. You aren't the same girl I knew at Hogwarts," Remus explained carefully.

" I don't even know who you are," she whispered, half horrified.

Remus looked away. " Severus, maybe you should tell us what happened now."

Severus tensed, and took in a long breath. " Lily was right. I obliviated her so that she wouldn't remember James. Then I told her that we were on a mission. I was the one who trained her. I made her fearless, a fast, strong fighter. No holding back, nothing like that. No weaknesses. I taught her how to block her mind, and yet read others. I made her learn nonverbal spells. She's an expert at it now, and can even kill nonverbally. I started teaching her wandless magic, she can shoot sparks," Severus rattled off. He tilted his head to Lily.

She perked up, getting the message, and snapped her fingers, which helped her with wandless magic. And sparks flew from nowhere.

" Anything else?" Remus asked calmly.

" I've taken her on raids. She's fought something wonderful. Until he arrived on scene. She started getting flashes of her memory back when we captured him. So that's why I had Ella take you guys back. I didn't want you here, messing with her mind. But somehow, he managed to get in anyway. On the battlefield, he kissed her. He is able to bring back her memories, some of them. Bits and pieces in flashes, tiny flashes. But they're still there. Finally I came out and had to tell her that she was a Captured. She didn't talk to me for weeks after. Then you two came in and decided to steal us away."

Lily nodded, confirming Severus's claim. " So what about my old life?"

Remus tensed at that. How was he supposed to tell her that James was depressed beyond belief? Furious, and upset. Heartbroken and torn to pieces over this girl, who was a shadow of who she used to be. There were some moments when he saw the old Lily flicker behind her eyes, and she would surface sometimes. But other than that, she was hidden behind a veil of memories that she didn't know of.

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><p>So...anyone ever going to review, or has everyone just left my story? I hate saying this, but I haven't gotten a <em>single<em> review since chapter 11, did it go downhill from there or something? Or are people just speechless?


	15. Hates The Way He Loves Her

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Fifteen: Hates The Way He Loves Her**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

" I'm not sure. Since you have no memories...I'm not sure. But you love him, and you always have. Even when you told him that you would never love him."

" What about my memories? Do you think I can love him back?" Lily asked, as she clasped the necklace back around her neck.

" He loves you Lily," Remus stated.

" That doesn't mean I have to love him back," Lily snapped. " I don't know who he is. I don't love him. I can't!"

" But you did love him, and he still loves you," Remus said patiently.

Lily stood up, eyes holding a fury she used to reserve for James. " You think you can just save me, after two years, and tell me how to live my life? You don't know who I am, and I'm not some toy. I can't love him. I don't know him, and I don't know if I ever can love him!"

" I thought you loved him."

Lily looked like she might cry, or might start shouting again. " I wish I could love him. But I don't know him. I'm not even sure of his name. I don't know his personality and I can't remember him. Until I do, I can't love him."

Remus sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. Lily was still there, under all of the Death Eater-ness. In her anger, he could see it. Her same defiance she'd held at school. She really didn't care what you told her. She didn't really want to know, and it didn't really matter to her.

" Try."

Lily glared. " You think I'm not trying? I can't remember a thing!"

" Then let me show you my memories," he replied, standing up and going to get a pensieve. It was expensive, and beautifully crafted. It actually belonged to Dumbledore, lent to Remus for this exact reason.

Remus tore open a few of the cardboard boxes before he levitated the bowl out. It had a smooth, unbroken surface, and within it swirled the silvery memories.

Slowly, he brought the tip of his wand to his temple, drawing out a few rather selective memories, hoping to jog her own. She remained silent, even as he dropped the memory in.

He swirled it a bit, and gave her a look. " Ladies first," he said, motioning to the pensieve.

Lily bent over, and so did Severus, after a hesitant pause, and they were all sucked into the memory.

_Remus landed next to his past self, who sat by the Marauder's tree, reading. Typical. Lily was laughing with James, shoving him over. Remus smiled at the two, and glanced at Sirius, who did not quite share his happiness of the two. He knew that Sirius slightly envied Lily for her closeness with James, but did not hate her._

Lily looked at herself, and watched as the two walked through her, and they all followed to hear the conversation.

_" James, who else do you think you'd be taking to Hogsmeade? Why do you even bother to ask?" Lily asked._

_James smirked, eyes sparkling. " Just to hear you say yes. Besides, I thought I might take one of my other girlfriends, you know, they do love me."_

_Lily's jaw dropped. " Other girlfriends?"_

_" What can I say? People love me, I think it's the Potter charm," James claimed, mocking innocence._

_" How dare you James! You know what? I might say no, just so you can take one of those _many_ girlfriends you claim to have," Lily threatened, rolling her eyes._

_" Aww, but Lily, you know they won't be as much fun as you," James whined._

_" Too bad, you'll learn to cope I'm sure," Lily replied casually, twirling her locket between her fingers as she did so._

_" Hey, Christina! Wanna go out-" he was cut off by Lily smacking him in the arm._

_" You absolute jerk!" she accused, ready to take out her wand if necessary. " She's one of your many girlfriends? She's one of your...your...fangirls!" Lily snapped, stuttering furiously even as she blushed._

_James smirked at Lily's reaction. " Exactly. You said you wouldn't go, so I assumed I could ask someone else. Besides, James Potter can't go dateless."_

_" I never said no!" Lily said quickly. Then added, " But I might if you keep it up."_

_" Keep what up?" James asked, his eyes flashed with mischief._

_" You know exactly what I'm talking about," Lily replied, kissing him on the lips lightly. " Yes."_

Remus turned to Lily, who was watching, mystified by this memory. Next to her, Severus seemed displeased, but did not object when they were sent spirling back to the room.

" That was James? The guy I supposedly love?" Lily asked, gesturing to the pensieve. " He's such a..."

" Jerk?" Remus asked, smiling lightly.

" Kind of," Lily admitted. " He's a bit self absorbed don't you think?"

Remus laughed. " He's pureblood, and a blood traitor through and through. He'd never change though. Not even for you Lily. He might seem like a bit of a conceited idiot on the outside, but he's not that bad. He's the most loyal, trustworthy friend a person could ask for. You'll see..."

He pulled the memory out with his wand, replacing it in his head, and selected another. He glanced at Severus, and nodded. Severus sighed, knowing what this one was.

" N.E.W.T.s?" he asked.

" Close," Remus answered. " Quidditch."

Severus groaned, wishing he could just die now. Lily looked between the two enemies. " Quidditch? How's that so bad? I think it's not that bad...though I would never play."

Severus's reply was muffled by the pillow he'd put over his ears. " You just so happen to be dating Mr. Quidditch Fanatic," his reply came from the pillow.

Remus gestured. " You first Lily. Snape, you can stay here if you'd rather not see Slytherin lose so badly again."

Severus didn't reply, so Remus locked the ward, and then plunged in after Lily.

_" Another ten points to Gryffindor! And the scores are 120 to Gryffindor, up against the 50 to Slytherin!"_

_The crowds cheered as their respective houses were named, glaring at the opposing house._

_" And it looks like one of the Slytherin beaters was just knocked out from a hit by Potter's new Beater, who seems to be proving to be a fine competitor," the commentator rattled off._

_Sirius smirked, and cheered, pumping his fist in the air and only grabbing a hold of his broom when James shouted at him that he was about to fall off. James rolled his eyes and returned to trying to get the Quaffle away from that Slytherin chaser._

_The two weaved one another, a blur of scarlet and emerald. More than once, they slammed into each other, before another red blur shoved the emerald off balance, and James flew sideways, veering off with the Quaffle clutched tightly in his hands._

_" Gryffindor in possession!"_

_The Slytherin keeper, who was a Sixth Year, turned his broom to face James, knowing that the Seventh Year was quick, witty and had Quidditch practically born in his veins. James faked right, swung his broom to the left, and swerved right past the keeper, and threw straight and true, the bell sounding when the Quaffle soared through the hoops._

_" Ten points and Slytherin in possession, Gryffindor leading by 80 points!"_

_" Get the snitch!" he ordered his Seeker, who smirked and soared higher, searching frantically._

_Lily, who was apparently in the stands, cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors, Alice and Annabelle next to her. Beside them, Remus and Peter were whooping and hollering for their other two Marauders._

_As the Slytherin player flew down the field, he was blocked by one of the scarlet chasers, and Sirius managed to smack him with a bludger that knocked the wind out of the chaser. Another red player darted in, and shot off for the other goal, with the Quaffle, James watching._

_" The snitch!" someone shouted, and everyone shouted at once, as both Seekers went into a dive, Gryffindor flying ahead by a good couple of meters._

_James flew downward, wanting to watch more of the action, and he swooped down, just as his Seeker snatched the golden snitch out of the air. The stands erupted into screams, and Gryffindor flooded down to the Pitch to hug the team._

_James landed, relishing in the cheers, but his eyes sought another. And amidst the crowd, his eyes locked on a pair of emerald eyes, and then Lily was running past her friends, reaching James first. He dropped his broom and picked her up, twirling her around._

_" I love you," he whispered, for only her to hear, and she heard him, even with all the shouts around them. She met his eyes, " I love you back," they answered, without a word._

_And he kissed her, not caring that everyone was watching._

Remus pulled Lily back. " Don't you see?"

Lily smiled slightly. " He does love me..." Lily began, half smiling, but looking like she might cry.

Remus laughed. " You thought I was joking?"

" And I don't love him back..." Lily whispered, eyes sparkling with unshed tears, and Remus's laugh died in his throat, and even his eyes seemed to fade a bit.

" I can't make you love him Lily. Only you can do that," Remus said softly. " I wish you would love him though. You haven't seen him without you. Without you it's like he's gone. A shadow of himself. And he won't talk about you, but I know he thinks about you all the time. He won't say it, but he misses you. He's made everyone upset. Our lives are crashing down on us. You broke his heart when you said no."

" No to what?" Lily asked, tears threatening to spill, her green eyes wide.

" He proposed, on the last day we were at Hogwarts. He swore his love to you. He said he would never ask you again, told you if you said no, you could walk out of his life forever. And you did, you said no, and then you walked away forever," Remus said quietly, knowing that was the day everything went dark.

The lights never shone anymore. There was no sparkle in James's eyes, and no life in his laugh. No more happiness. He didn't prank anymore. Everything was dead serious, even when Sirius tried to cheer him up. James never outright burst into tears, that was too much for his ego to handle. But we still knew he cried for her. He would wake up shouting in his nightmares. Then he would go quiet, and he wouldn't speak about it. Remus had similar dreams.

Dreams of werewolves, and the Dark Side's vicious attacks. Remus guessed James's would be of Lily killing him. Maybe that was anyone's worst nightmare. That the one they loved, never truly loved them. Or not enough to stop them from killing.

" He proposed...and I said no?" Lily murmured. " Why? Why would I say no? I loved him...I know I did. I don't know if I can love him again, but...I broke his heart didn't I? Would he even give me a chance?"

Remus was silent, staring at those emerald eyes. He knew the truth was probably the same that Lily was thinking. There was no way James would ever let his heart break like that again. Yes, he still loved Lily, but now it wasn't the same kind of love. He had loved her unconditionally, forever, pure and true. But now, there was a fear she'd placed inside him. He was afraid to love her again. He _hated _that he still loved her. That she could still give him nightmares. That she, just that one girl, could shatter his heart again.

James hated the way he loved her.

" He doesn't hate you Lily." It was Severus who spoke, calmly, and for once, there was no lingering hate in his eyes. " He won't give you another chance to break his heart. But I think, if you let him have some time, and talk to him some, he might see you in another light. He can't just fall in love with you again, but he does still love you. I wouldn't give up on him if I were you."

Lily turned to look at him, and tilted her head at her trainer. " I thought you loved me though. Why would you do this? Why would you let me go?"

Severus took a deep breath. " Because I love you enough to let you go. He's good for you. Me, I mean nothing but danger. I almost got you killed Lily. You deserve so much better. You deserve a safe life, with children and a beautiful family. That's something I can never give you. I can't swear to you that you'll be safe. I can't have you bring a child into a world where they would be a Born of, and I can't make sure you have a family you deserve. I can't love you in the same way that he can."

" And what can you do about my memories?" Lily asked, tears trailing down her cheeks. " If you want me to love him, how can I forget you? How can I love him knowing that I love you?"

" If your love for him is stronger, you won't even remember me," Severus replied, his heart breaking with every word he spoke. He was selling his soul to her. He was telling her to love someone else. And the hardest thing in the world is to watch someone you love, love someone else. But he was doing this for her. Because her life was worth it. Even if he had to give her up to his enemy. He loved her that much.

Severus hated how much he loved her. She would cause him pain for the rest of his life, which would only fade with time.

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><p>So a lot of people reviewed! Thanks a lot to<p>

Duchess E.V. Watson-I can tell...

accio-food-you made me laugh

Xoxoxfoever-yeah, James might come in soon

EnchantedWords17-you just made me smile

Anonymous- It'll be about 30 Chapters I believe...

sonorusgoesthesilence-*sighs* I made the whole thing very mystery themed. If you can figure out who the servant is in the prediction, and know who the girl is, which I've been hinting since I announced her engagement. Ressa said it, I promise. Or it was in her thoughts at least. Then you can basically figure out the whole story, minus quite a few other things that happen in between that.


	16. Brewing Memories

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Sixteen: Brewing Memories**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and Duchess E.V. Watson (formerly Miss R.E. Mulvey-as I just found out yesterday)**

**Also, I forgot to tell everyone how old they all are. The Marauders, Lily, Frank, Alice, and Annabelle are all 21. So Lily's entire Capture, start to finish lasted three years. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Then Regulus is only 20...so I don't know if anyone didn't get that, but I'm just throwing that out there for everyone to know. **

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><p>-l-Severus-l-<p>

I sat on the floor, which was cold, even with the raggedy carpet. I had set up my cauldron, borrowed from Remus, and shifted through the ingredient choices. I hadn't started the fire yet, and instead I picked through my ingredients, grabbing a select few, while turning away from the others.

Lily and Remus were reading, though I had a feeling Remus wasn't really reading. I had a funny feeling that he was actually watching me over the top of his book. My first hint was that he had yet to turn a page for a half hour. The second hint being, he was holding the book upside down.

I pulled out a few bottles, and sniffed them, sampling a few of the ingredients. Lily, who had been reading some muggle book, set her book down, peered at me for a long moment, and then got down on the floor next to me, looking over my shoulder. It was like old times, with me teaching her how to brew potions.

I felt my heart twinge a bit at that.

" So what are we making?" she asked, flashing me a smile that made my heart twist.

I sighed, flipping the book open to the right page. It was ratty, and falling apart, it looked chewed up by the looks of the front cover, and puked on by the looks of page twenty two, singed on page ninety seven, not to mention it was missing an entire chapter on the properties of moonstone.

I pointed. " It's for people who have been obliviated. It works for some people, and others it doesn't. I'm modifying it so it'll be stronger. I would give you a full dose, but it could kill you, considering the ingredient that brings back the memories actually is rather poisonous. We'll be brewing a half cauldron rather than a full. It stores badly, and I doubt you'll have any need of it after I leave."

" You're leaving?" she asked, mouthing the title of the potion.

I nodded. " Lily I can't stay. Not with you getting your memories back. You'll hate me for what I did to you. You might hate me even more for ruining your relationship with James. I don't like him at all, I hate him, but I trust him to keep you safe."

" Don't worry about my safety, I can still fight," she said, picking out a few other ingredients. " It takes three days. Sounds complex too. Sure you won't mess up Master?" she teased.

I shot her a half-hearted glare. " I'm sure I can manage," I replied.

She pulled out her wand, and tapped the cauldron teasingly. " Then you should start by lighting the fire."

" I don't have my wand," I said. " Why don't you light it if you're so clever?"

" Fine, I will," she replied. Tapping her wand against the cauldron and she nonverbally lit it on fire. " There. Happy? Oh wait," she said, faking a disappointed look. " You're never happy."

I sent her a glare. " What's that supposed to mean?"

" What do you think it means?" she asked, slapping a root in my hand, and saying, " This goes first."

" Ahem. As fun as it is to listen to you two bicker, you sound like you're flirting," Remus commented from his upside down book.

I didn't even glance up, instead choosing to ignore the werewolf, and continue chopping the roots into even pieces, carefully skinning them so they were equally sized.

Lily watched for a moment, and then picked up a potion bottle, which went in after the roots turned the potion green, and began to shake it. " You know what I think Remus? I think that whether or not we are flirting, doesn't really matter. Because either way, after this, you won't let me see him."

" Why would you want to?" Remus asked. " He's the one who made you like this. Took away all your good memories, and tore you away from the guy you love."

" You know what? I think that maybe that love wasn't meant to be," Lily replied, uncorking the bottle and pouring in a few ounces, before putting the stopper back in it. " Maybe that love didn't work out for a reason. I've moved on, and he's just going to have to move on too. I don't want to seem like it isn't my problem, but I'm really not concerned about it. He proposed, and I said no. End of story."

" Maybe you didn't know him like I did then," Remus snapped, setting down his book angrily.

" You think you're the only one who is suffering in this war? You think he deserves to be happy? Look around you Remus! People are dying out there. There are people that shouldn't have to die, but they do. I'm not saying that it's right, but it's life. Learn to live with it. I don't think I'm meant for him, if it means going back to a person I don't love," Lily replied, stirring the cauldron calmly for a person who had lost her memory, and for someone supposed to be my best friend. " I don't even remember him."

" You think I don't know what the war is doing? I was the one you tortured back in the basement. Me, because I was a werewolf. I know what the Ministry is doing. And I know what the Dark Side is doing too. They're recruiting people, and dark creatures. I'm just a dark creature to you, aren't I?" he asked, pain and anger flaring in his eyes.

" Maybe you are," Lily shouted back. " Maybe that's all you are to me. But did you ever think that, that fact might not be my fault? That's how I was trained. That's how I think now. I don't remember my old life. You can't make me someone who I'm not!"

" You were never like this Lily. You were better than this," Remus said, gesturing to her. " You saw all the good in everyone. You cared about people, and you were the one who would help people when they couldn't find the good in themselves."

Lily tilted her head slightly, shredding a few shrivelfigs. " I do see good in some people. But some people just aren't worth it."

" Who's not worth it? James?"

Lily's gaze traveled downward, and then up, for a second she met Remus's eyes. " Yes," she replied, watching Remus's face fall slightly as she said it. " I don't know Remus...I haven't loved him at all. Maybe I never loved him. Because...when I became a Death Eater, I fell in love with someone else. My best friend...even though I knew we couldn't be together."

Remus's gaze traveled from Lily to me, then slowly back to her. " I don't understand, why would you love him?"

Lily sighed. " I guess you wouldn't understand. He saved me, Remus. And I guess I've saved him too, a few times in battle. That's why I love him. And he has been the only person involved in my life for the past nearly three years, so what do you expect is going to happen?"

Remus sighed. " I guess I thought rescuing you would be easier than this. I didn't expect you to have a huge memory loss of almost everything. Back in the basement I guess I thought you were kidding."

Lily shook her head, handing me a potion bottle, frog liver, and I began to shake it a couple times. " I don't kid around Remus. I really don't know who you are. I know you were in my Year, and you were a Prefect, but I don't remember anything else. Sorry."

I kept shaking the bottle, all of my focus on it, and fished out a frog liver, adding it to the boiling potion, which I stirred.

" I want your memory to come back Lily, you need it back. You have to remember, even if the memories will hurt."

Lily picked up a few rat tails, twirling one of them absently. " I don't know if I want to remember, if they're going to hurt. Will they hurt?" she asked, directing the question at me.

I swirled the potion counterclockwise, and then set down the stirring stick. " Yes," I admitted. " He proposed to you, in front of the whole Great Hall, and he basically told you that you were his everything, and that he was willing to give up everything for you, and you turned him down. You ended up screaming at him, and throwing the locket to the ground before you ran away. You broke his heart Lily."

She went pale, and looked worse than she already did. " Do you really think I can face him after I destroyed him like that?"

I shrugged, taking the rat tails from her before she flung them at someone. " I don't think you have a choice."

My one and only. My first and last. The one true love of my life.

_Always. _


	17. Into Memories

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Seventeen: Into Memories**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and Duchess E. V. Watson.**

**Okay, so just really quick, a shout out to Grow Up Ron...**

**So I'm not going to try to tell you that you have to feel sorry for Snape. That's your own opinion. My only point I'd like to make is that he loved Lily, and he would have had to kill her if she didn't join the Death Eaters in the first place. And he couldn't kill her, so instead he made her come with him and join. So yes, it was kidnapping...and yes, he did clear her memory. Not entirely against her will though, because even after she found out she was a Captured, she stayed because she loved Snape. **

**And please, next time, I'd rather you not call some of my reviewers morons...I'm sure they don't entirely appreciate it. **

* * *

><p>-l-Annabelle-l-<p>

My story was never simple, and I never told anyone about my past. Except for Lily and Alice, who never told anyone, I swore them to secrecy.

My life started in a tiny muggle hospital, in a small town in the country. I was born, with my blue eyes open, and a tuft of black hair. My father and mother loved me like any other parents. I had my father's black hair, and my mother's blue eyes.

My mother was a witch, a half blood, but never told my father, Charles. Sarah was only trying to protect me from his rage. He was a muggle and never once believed in any nonsense or magic. My mother never pushed me to believe in magic, but she knew that I had magic running through my veins just as she knew that when I turned eleven, I would officially be a witch.

In the second year of my life, that's when the lies started. My father brought home a newborn baby boy, and his name was Chris Evergreen. My father claimed he was an orphan, had no parents and needed a home. Sarah let him live here, and he was my brother for years. I loved him like I would any other sibling, all the time not knowing he really was my brother.

When he turned three, and I was five, that's when the fighting started. My father still claimed Chris was an orphan, while my mother told him clearly that Chis had his eyes, and a few other features of my father. My father outright denied it, and slept on the couch for two days before he admitted to cheating on mother. Mother wasn't outright furious, she still accepted Chris as her own son, and I quickly accepted that he was my half brother.

Life went on, and now it was my mother's turn to lie. Unusual things would happen. Once, when I was seven, I was running away from a boy who was chasing me, and somehow or other I went to jump off a jungle gym, and I flew. Only for a few seconds, but enough for the teachers to call my mother claiming that I'd done something.

She ended up having to leave her work, which I never even heard about. I knew she worked, but she never mentioned where she worked. And she came in, explaining with a lot of laughter, that there was no way I flew off the monkey bars. I laughed with them at the time, never realizing that she was lying to them, and to me.

Later, she was in the car, and told me, " I knew this would happen. You have to be more careful Annabelle."

I didn't understand at all, but nodded and went along with it. Other things happened, like when I got really mad at one of my teachers, all the lights exploded, after several flickers, and sent glass splintering everywhere. Miraculously, I was unharmed, while other students had gashes and scratches on their arms. I wasn't punished, but there was concern in my mother's matching eyes as she heard what happened. She didn't scold me, only watched me with a sort of wondrous concern, and shock.

Then it started happening to my brother. A science fair which ended in tears from one boy who's volcano had literally blown up. Chris hadn't seemed to care, only laughed when my mother told them that the boy must have added too much baking soda and should be more careful. The teachers were in shock, wondering how Mrs. Jacobs's two children could cause so much trouble, and how whenever trouble happened, they were never harmed.

My father ignored all of it, thinking it all just coincidental or an accident. He never believed in magic, even if he saw it he wouldn't have believed it. He thought the teaches must have been hallucinating or else were going crazy.

Oddly enough, Chis latched himself onto mother, and even went shopping with her. I never cared for shopping, and instead sat in my father's office while he worked, drawing away at blank pieces of paper with crayons or else stealing peanuts from his co workers. They all loved me, and were always willing to talk, and one of them always gave me chocolate. I would spend hours in his office, not even glancing up when mother came in, with Chris tagging along, announcing that he should come home. He would insist on staying to finish a few papers, and I determinedly said I would stay too.

Mother snapped her fingers at that, and at once, I obeyed, though not as happily as I would have if it were my father. He waved and would wink, saying he would be home soon.

Then came the day I turned eleven. My mother was nervous, watching the skies and pacing. I didn't understand, and father thought it was ridiculous that he had to stay home from work. I even offered to go with him to work, but mother refused. She insisted that there was something she had to tell us all. And finally she came out with it. She told father she was a witch, and even showed him her wand. He wasn't shocked, he got over his shock in two seconds, and the next he was shouting at her. He nearly snapped her wand in half, and she nearly set him on fire with the sparks that flew from her wand in her fury.

They shouted into noon, until finally they both went into separate rooms, mother in tears and father furiously punching anything he could. I watched, and finally made my brother and I a sandwich, which we shared under the table. He was only nine, but apparently knew that mother was a witch. I didn't know how I wouldn't have known, but he said he'd met a few witches and wizards. And so had I, but I had never been told what they were.

So that's where mother worked. On a different part of the world all together. In underground England, working for some Ministry of Magic. I assumed that was like their government, which ran the country of witches and wizards.

Finally, when an owl appeared, mother came out of her room, and even coaxed my father out. He was still mad, but he did a good job of masking it. For a long time, they made dinner, but still no one spoke.

Mother didn't say anything about the letter the owl had given her. Until I asked her what it was.

Then she told me, that I too was a witch. And that her friend she'd been seeing, was Chris's mother, who was also a witch. So we were a family of witches and wizards. She only told father about me being a witch, and that was his last straw.

He looked at me, almost in disbelief, and left, with only a few words of comfort before he closed the door forever. He walked out of our lives for good, and never looked back.

I didn't have my father anymore, and lost almost all contact with my mother when I joined the Dark Side. In a way, I knew that what I was fighting for was wrong. But that didn't stop me. I loved Regulus more than I cared about the consequences.

He wasn't a bad person on the inside though. He loved me every bit as much as I loved him. In battle, he protected me from the worst of the curses, never having to take any for me, but blasting quite a few away from me.

Our relationship was complicated. His mother and father expected him to marry a pureblood. They never found out about our planned marriage, because he was supposed to be married off later. He refused the marriage though, and proposed to me instead. I wasn't even allowed to wear my engagement ring on my finger, because it would give off the slightest sparkle, and reflected in wandlight. So instead I strung it on a silver chain and kept it under my robes, while Regulus would wear his under his robes later when we were married.

I fought for his life, and not my own. I had killed people in order to save his life, and I would lay my own down if it meant saving his.

-l-Lily-l-

_I stood there, at the train station, my heart breaking still. _

_I looked at my friends, both of who were watching me, concern flashing in their eyes. _

_I sighed. "I'm fine," I lied, though I really wasn't. Inside I felt my heart break even more. _

_I turned to look back at James, he was with his own friends. He looked like he was just barely making it through. His best friend, Sirius, was looking past James's shoulder, and spotted me. For one heart gripping moment, I thought he might be a true Black at heart, ready to murder me on the spot. Then he turned away, with one last glare at me, one that wished me a most painful death. _

_And I knew why he was furious with me. I'd just broken his best friend's heart. Remus looked at me, and shook his head slightly, and he too turned away. I felt like crying all over again, and I had already cried all day. It was bad enough that I'd had to reject James, but to see his friends shunning me now. Especially kind hearted Remus, who had been my friend for what seemed ages. He was furious with me too. Only because he had known that I loved James, and he had thought I'd say yes too. _

_And when I said no, I guess I killed all of the Marauders's trust in me. Even Peter, who sent me a piercing glare for someone so weak, and he usually kept out of things. Preferring to watch rather than be involved. _

That brought me back to the day that Sirius had threatened my life if I ever hurt James.

_It was after Transfiguration class, and I was about to meet James at the lake. When Sirius came bounding out, running straight for me, and Remus running after him. _

_I was slammed against the wall, and then they were both there, standing on both sides of me, wands drawn. I froze, flattening myself again the wall and preparing to scream for help. _

_"What's going on?" I asked, half terrified by their serious expressions, and the other, scared of their wands. _

_"You're going to swear something," Sirius said matter of factly. _

_I blinked. "Er..what?" _

_"You're going to swear to both of us that you won't hurt James," Remus explained lightly, smiling slightly. _

_Sirius's expression didn't shift at all. "I can't have you hurt my best mate, he's like a brother to me and he's loved you for years, so I'm not going to watch you hurt him if that's all you want to do." _

_My eyes widened in realization. "You seriously think that I'm messing around? That this is some kind of joke? I love him!" _

_Sirius's expression softened. "As long as I don't have to curse you," he said, picking me up, and twirling me around. " Good to have you back Lily!"_

_"Sirius," I shouted. "PUT. ME. DOWN."_

Which brings me to my final memories...

_" Sirius, the closest star to Earth. That one represents every time I look at you and forget everything."_

_..._

_This wasn't a first crush kind of likeness, this was love, pure and true and unmistakably strong._

* * *

><p>So those are all 'new' memories. They have always been a part of the story, I just added them in. I thought it would be boring if they were memories that everyone already heard about. The last two are, but they're really short. And I didn't list all the memories she got. That would take ages, but I hope you enjoyed the ones I did put in.<p> 


	18. Tying Knots

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Eighteen: Tying Knots**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and americanathogwarts. **

* * *

><p>-l-Lily-l-<p>

Well the potion worked, that was the good thing. The downside was, now I knew mostly what had happened. I hadn't gotten all my memories, but I had enough to get the point.

From Sirius and Remus threatening to kill me if I hurt James, when I first started to actually date him... Until the day I broke his heart and in the process, tore my own to pieces.

Remus hadn't filled me in on the rest, but he didn't have to. Basically, I fell for him. Hard. And he loved me even before that, and our love was perfect. Then I blew it by rejecting him because of my fear that he would be attacked, and so would I, by Death Eaters. Then apparently, from what little memory I had gained, Severus had wiped my memory, and stolen me away, made me a Death Eater, to protect me and now we ended up here.

So instead of helping the situation Remus added, he'd gone into a depression for two months. No one could get him out of it, not even Sirius, and he ended up bringing Remus down with him. He had nightmares that woke him, shouting nonsense and pleading for an invisible girl to come back to him. Sirius almost considered getting him mental therapy, but couldn't bear the thought of James going down that road. He helped James anytime he had a nightmare, tried to keep his thoughts off of me, and tried to get James to move on.

He did get better, after Sirius forced him to start Auror training with him. Their teacher worked them so hard, that by the end of the day, James didn't have the strength to dream or even think about me. He fell straight to sleep every night, or else stayed up with a lot of paperwork, and no time on his hands.

In a way, it helped him get past the worst of the depression. But it also made it harder to have any social life at all. Remus sort of trailed off, on his own search for work, and anyone who would take work from a werewolf. No one would. And Peter, left all alone, went off on his own a bit. Not having the standards for a Auror, he became something else, and worked part time for the Ministry.

Now James didn't date at all. He showed no interest in any girl in the slightest, instead ignoring them when they talked to him, and staring straight ahead when girls attempted to flirt with him. He wasn't like Sirius, who liked a few of the girls he worked with.

When they finally started working for the Order, James and Sirius both changed. Sirius finally matured a bit, and started to get more involved in the war rather than just the scenes of incidents. James, with more work than ever, was forced out of the rest of his depression, and began to fight too. He learned to fight, and not use pesky pranking spells, but the real, hardcore spells. The stunners, the ones that rendered you useless, the ones that could break your bones, throw you against brick walls without mercy, he learned like a Death Eater would, though less brutal. We had a year of hard training, whereas they only had six or seven months tops.

They then went on missions, doing just what I was. Though the opposite. They protected the muggles from our attacks. They were like us, but they had caring, compassion and a trust that we never had. When someone fell, someone else was there to defend them until they got up. They were there for one another, and didn't fight independently, but as one unit.

* * *

><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

Today, that girl walked down the aisle, her wedding colors a vibrant blue, which matched her white dress, with light blue and her shoes. The blue matched the stripe down the left side of her hair, making her black hair shine almost blue, though it was an ebony black.

The man at the end of the aisle was silent, though he smiled when she finally took his hand.

Never once did their wedding bands go on their fingers, but on a silver chain, which went around their necks. Never once did they say their vows above a whisper, and there was no one in the stands.

No one was there to witness their wedding, except for a rat, gray, with a dull pink tail, a pink nose, and twitching whiskers. The rat scurried along one of the benches, watching the whole wedding.

And only when it finished did he run for the door, and vanish among the thorn bushes outside.

The uninvited guest, who had been the only witness to the wedding. The wedding that was a secret, and to the rest of the world, never happened.

* * *

><p>-l-James-l-<p>

I sent a red curse hurdling at a Death Eater, and ducked, just as they sent a green curse soaring back.

I gritted my teeth, and this time, I sent a stunner, and then another red curse. They managed to deflect the first, but the second skimmed their side. The girl, from the scream, crumpled, gripping her side.

I stepped forward, ready to kill these people. If they could even be called that. They were monsters, killing innocent people. They were responsible for the murders of over fifty muggles, and it would only get worse.

As I did, she turned, her eyes meeting mine. Something silver around her neck, and glistening on it, was a ring, a wedding band. And her blue eyes locked with mine, for one second, and I hesitated, wanting to kill her, but unable to find the words I had to utter.

" Stay away from her!"

I whipped around, and was met by a curse, sent my way by another Death Eater, it was unmistakably, Regulus Black.

I hesitated, for a second I was fearful to shoot at Sirius's brother. But a green jet of light, which narrowly missed my left ear, changed my mind in a split second.

I shot a purple curse of my own at him, and he launched himself out of the way only just in time.

Remembering that she was still there, I sent a stunner behind me, aiming for her. Regulus shouted out again, something I didn't quite catch, but had a feeling had quite a few choice words in it.

I turned, glancing at the girl out of the corner of my eye. She lay, her black hair strewn around her, and her eyes were closed, her body limp, and for a second I panicked. I hadn't killed her though, and she seemed alright. I caught a glimpse of a bright blue in her hair, and for a second, my heart seemed to skip a beat. Annabelle. Vaguely, I thought, what was she doing here? But the next, I was forced to duck as Regulus sent another green jet at me.

" Sirius!" I shouted at my partner, who was backing up Frank, who seemed to be doing fine on his own.

Sirius jerked his head around, and his eyes narrowed in on his brother, and before I could suggest anything, he shot a blazing red jet at his brother.

They battled, sparks flew, curses were shouted, sometimes forgetting nonverbal magic altogether, and others were nonverbal, it was a fight between two Blacks. Something went down between them, though I wasn't sure what it was.

Finally, Regulus drew back, both of them in a standoff now, until Regulus's gaze flickered to Annabelle, and he ran for her instead, going into a dive, and just before Sirius's curse hit him, he disapparated, taking her with him.

And in that instant, it hit. She was married. My ex-lover was married to my best mate's brother. I stepped back, glancing at Sirius, who shared my shock with wide grey eyes.


	19. Dark Lord's Servant

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Nineteen: Dark Lord's Servant**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

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><p>-l-Peter-l-<p>

Life is never easy. No one ever said it would be. But is it even possible for life to be this hard?

None of my friends can help me, because they can't know my secret. I'm a spy for the Light side, but I live on the Dark. In a small, cramped room, musty and too dry for my liking. I've learned to cope with what little I have.

I have a few coppers and some silvers in my pocket, and my only things of value, my wand and the clothes on my back. That's all I have that's worth anything.

Once, I was a decent wizard, and I guess a few subjects just didn't 'do it' for me, but I wasn't too bad. A few teachers always were a bit harsh, but it made me stronger.

Nothing could have prepared me for being a Death Eater and the training you had to go through. They weren't harsh, they were downright cruel and unforgiving. They didn't care if you came into training all new, or if you were an expert. You learned fast, or else.

I learned fast not to trust, and with my bad aim, I was forced to get better within five days.

I taught myself new spells and learned to block my mind, all at the same time. We took classes, like school. But the professors were nothing more than the masters of that subject. They were strict, breaking into your mind, just when you thought you had your shields mastered. They didn't care what they could see in your head, it didn't matter how private, they'd tear it from you.

I learned fast to keep my head down and my thoughts to myself. It was rare I would speak up anymore. And nonverbal spells, well I paid well for not using that, and was driven into learning quick. We soon had no choice but to learn unforgivables, and I only killed once.

I learned, and it helped me with the Order, though I started vanishing more often than not, on missions for the Order, which in turn required me to go to the Death Eaters.

I followed Dumbledore's orders, and the Dark Lord's.

There were times when my friends would comment that I looked tired, and that I was thinning down. The thinness was no diet, it was the levels of stress, the poor quality food, little sleep, and the continuos fear that was wearing on my body.

I lived in constant fear that someone on either side would recognize me, and then tell the opposing time, who would be ready to murder me. Me, little Peter Pettigrew. Spy for the Order.

That's why I learned to use my animagus to hide, and run from both sides. There were times when I felt like just vanishing. Who needed me after all? I was just Dumbledore's and Voldemort's spy. Me, fearful and scared of my own shadow. Or I used to be, while now, I was no coward.

I could torture and use unforgivable curses on muggles. I wanted to be good enough, strong enough to make people proud.

My new mission, avoid the Death Eaters. Because there was a rumor of a traitor. And if Dumbledore was right, that spy was one of his own.

A spy was another danger. One that could get me killed.

I'd already spotted Ressa, and I knew she was a Captured. I was the one who told Dumbledore of her capture in the first place. I was the one who was forced to graduate next to Regulus's girlfriend, who showed me down, by not even flinching at the pain of the Dark Mark.

Ressa luckily didn't know me. But next to her was Severus and Regulus, who I'd first mistaken for his brother. Sirius would never join the Death Eaters. He hated his family's idea of purebloods and mudbloods, he was loyal to James, and the Marauders. I knew I never truly betrayed them, but I did break their trust.

Remus, he was a werewolf and I would think he'd never join the Death Eaters. But only a while after Ressa joined, he joined on the list of Dark Creatures.

Funnily enough, it made sense. He was the other spy that Dumbledore had told me about! I had to avoid him? He was my best mate, and he wasn't allowed to tell us either?

I had to say, I was disappointed, but I had the same orders. It was hard, and meant I couldn't go on a lot of raids, in case they took Remus with them. So instead I found myself making up the excuse that I had to spy for the Order.

-l-Lily-l-

I stood, trying not to cry. Severus hugged me, letting go very quickly.

" I'm sorry Sev," I whispered, stepping away.

" You'll be fine," he assured me.

I shook my head. " I can try."

He looked like he wanted to comfort me, but made no move to. " If we meet in battle, don't beat me too badly."

I smiled sadly. " I'll try not to have to see you in battle at all."

" Smile Lily, you'll be happier where you're going."

I smiled slightly, stepping forward and giving him one last kiss. " I'll always love you."

I stepped back as Remus walked out of his flat, closing the door. " Goodbye Sev."

I stepped back, taking Remus's hand, and Remus turned, and we disapparated, me, with one last smile at Severus.

We landed at Hogwarts, and I turned. Taking in the Whomping Willow, the grass that stretched for ages, the tiny Quidditch goal posts in the distance, and the lake, with the trees, the Marauders Tree, and the large, looming castle above us.

I looked at Remus, who sighed.

" We're going to see Dumbledore," he said, starting to walk up to the castle.

I froze, the deep rooted fear gluing me to the spot. I had been taught to fear his name, like others did my master's. For a moment, I stood, frozen with fear of seeing my old Headmaster.

Remus stopped walking. " Er...Lily?"

" I can't see...him," I said, still unable to say his name.

" Lily, it's fine. My mission was to find you and bring you back. He just wants to talk to you. He's not going to kill you."

I hesitated, still frozen with fear. " Alright..."

He held out his hand. " You know, I know what it's like to make the wrong choices."

" You? Prefect, and Remus Lupin of all people?" I asked.

He nodded, and I took his hand, letting him lead me up to Hogwarts. " I should have never have let him near me. I was only five. He nearly killed me...and sometimes, I think I'd have been better off dead."

" Don't say that Remus, don't ever say that. You're a brilliant wizard, one of the best I've seen," I remarked.

He gave a wane smile. " Thank you, but it's not enough. I'm a werewolf, and a monster by society's standards."

" You aren't a monster Remus," I argued. " You're an amazing wizard."

" There's Lily," he said, smiling. " The Lily I once knew," he murmured.

I smiled. " I'm trying."

He opened the door. " Ladies first."

I walked into the hallway, loving it, because it sparked something in me. I remembered the first time I'd seen those doors. I'd been eleven, and I loved this new world. I had thought it would it would be so beautiful. Never cunning like it turned out to be. It drew you in, with a gentle hand, and then never let you go, it's cunning and iron like grip never letting you go. Beautiful, yet so dangerous.

* * *

><p>There. Now you know Peter is a spy, you know...if you hadn't picked that up already.<p> 


	20. Faith and Hope

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty: Faith and Hope**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

**Sorry I've been gone, I was trying to mull over Chapter 21, but I'm not done with it. Still. So I'll just post this for now. **

**Hope you like. **

* * *

><p>I still hear your voice.<p>

I can still feel your touch.

It's hard without you.

I need you by my side.

I need you in my life.

And it still hurts.

-l-Third-l-

Lily walked up the tan, stony stairs, and paused to go to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey cleaned her up in a second, and gave her a bit of pepper up potion, and ordered some good food. The food wasn't warm, but it was still better than what she usually got to eat.

Lily, who hadn't bathed in three days, and since then, probably in a month, tied her hair back and cleaning her clothes, trying to seem presentable. No spell would hide how tired she looked, or how underfed she seemed, and it was no coincidence that Madame Pomfrey insisted she have a good meal, and Remus too.

Lily was shoveling down stew as fast as she could, without choking, while Remus ate slower, taking time to chew his food. Neither noticed the little girl who approached, her red hair flowing behind her, down her back, wearing a witch's robe, and tilting her head to the side. She had light blue eyes, which turned, blinking at both adults. She showed more interest in Lily, and her blue eyes zeroed in on the woman who looked so similar to her.

" Hello," Remus greeted politely, and the girl jumped, freezing where she stood.

" Hello," she said, waving shyly. " I'm five," she said, a bit prouder.

Remus chuckled. " I'm twenty one."

The little girl gave him an almost critical look. " That's old." Remus laughed, and laughed...so hard that he nearly dropped his tray to the floor, but his quick, werewolf reflexes were fast enough to prevent that.

Lily looked up for the first time, and with a gasp, dropped her spoon, which clattered loudly to the floor. " Faith?"

" I wanted to see you again," Faith said happily. " You came back!"

" I thought that woman took you in," Lily said in disbelief.

Faith shook her head. " Nope. She died."

" She what?" Lily gaped, " But...she was fine!" Indeed, the woman had seemed a little stunned and shaken up, but not so that she would collapse or something.

Faith shrugged. " I heard one of the grown ups say something about shock, and no one else has adopted me, so I'm just here. You know, Minnie isn't that bad."

" McGongall is taking care of you?" Remus asked, half shocked. Not that McGongall was bad, she just never seemed like the type to be mothering. She was awfully strict, and not always the nicest.

Faith nodded. " Well sorta, others do too."

" My name is Remus, and this is Lily," Remus introduced. Lily refused to look at Faith, not wanting more of the memories of the raids she'd gone on, the people she'd murdered.

" Remus," she said, testing the name. " So why are you guys here?"

" We're here to see Dumbledore," Remus explained, without going into details. Lily glanced at him, nearly flinching at the name, but instead stared at her hands. She missed her friend already, and he was probably gone forever. And he had loved her...whereas, though she remembered James, what if he didn't love her anymore? It had been three long years...

For a second, she prayed that he'd moved on. That maybe he hadn't clung to her memory like she did his, now at least. Maybe he had done what was best for himself and moved on with his life. Fallen in love with someone else...but that hurt too. Because now, she could feel the pain of the old love, fresh pain, and it drew her to want him back.

She knew that really, she had no right to think that. Especially since she'd been the one to break up with him. Though really, it seemed like it could be Severus's fault. But blaming him...there we go again, she thought dully. It's not his fault. He was trying to save my life, and I'm kind of glad.

" Are you gonna adopt me?" the little girl asked rather boldly. Her red hair, and her blazing blue eyes reminding Remus strongly of when Lily did that, made a comment, or asked a question, and looked so bold and confident.

" No," Lily answered. " I don't think I can." In truth, maybe she did love the little girl, but the fact remained that she'd been on the raid that made this little girl an orphan. This was how she repaid them? By taking their child as well?

" I know I can do magic, just like all of you. I can see it, and I want it to be part of my life forever," she said, gazing out the window.

" Faith, you belong in the muggle world, for now at least," Remus tried. He knew that young muggles, and muggleborns were vanishing left and right. And Faith was no different.

" You don't belong here yet. It's not just beautiful. It's war, and right now, the Wizarding World is about to tear itself apart," Lily whispered. " I won't adopt you unless it's safe."

Both sides were going at each other. The Light fighting for what was truly right, and the Dark fighting for a insane wizard. One who did great things, Dark, powerful things, but still...great.

Faith turned to Lily, sparing Remus a single glare. " It was your side that killed my mum and dad."

Lily sucked in a sharp breath. " Faith...alright, I'll try my best okay?"

Faith only answered," I just want someone to love me."

Lily could have sworn her heart broke. Remus even turned his head away slightly, frowning. " I do love you Faith. I'll try, I'm going to talk to the Headmaster now," she set her tray down and got up.

Lily and Remus left, after a short goodbye to Faith, who wandered off, exploring another of the many halls in Hogwarts.

" So, how did you meet her?" Remus asked.

" A raid," Lily explained. " I watched them kill her mother, and then I had to save her from being killed."

They were silent for a long time. She'd watched them murder Faith's mother mercifully, and then, they turned their wand on Faith. Ready to kill the little girl who's mother had died to save. She had done nothing. And until they turned, ready to murder the child, she didn't even feel what she was doing. There was no remorse. No pain.

Remus stopped at the gargoyle, glancing at Lily, who frowned as well. " Er...what's the password?"

" Sugar Quills?" Lily suggested.

" Lemon drops?"

" Chocolate frogs?"

" Acid Pops?"

The gargoyle moved aside, and Lily shot Remus a curious look. " Acid Pops?"

Remus shrugged. " Apparently."

They walked up the stairs, and when they opened the heavy wooden door, there was Peter, talking with Dumbledore. He froze, in the middle of a sentence, blue eyes flickering to Remus and then Lily.

" Oh...hello," Lily said, waving slightly, the nervousness evident in her voice.

" Hi," Peter answered first. " Hey, Moony." His eyes flickered between them, and he seemed to become very fearful.

Remus smiled slightly at the old nickname. " Hey Wormy."

" Told you I hated that name," Peter muttered, playing around with his old friend. It was an old joke, between the two friends. The words of Peter's first defiance to the name that he would later acquire and learn to love.

Remus laughed. " I told you not to start it."

The two friends, just teasing each other. It was almost easy to forget where they were. And why. Because Lily had been captured, stolen away for three years, and now they had to undo three year's damage.

Peter was the one who finally broke the moment. " I got another mission, see you later."

Lily watched him go, silently wondering where she'd seen that walk. He walked fast, in a nervous fashion. And she'd seen it before, and could easily imagine a black hood over him. She shook herself. He's not a Death Eater, he's one of the Order, she reminded herself. But he looked the part of a Death Eater. And it fit so well, but only in that one moment, before he vanished down the stairs.

" I found her Professor," Remus said, motioning to Lily.

Dumbledore surveyed Lily through his glasses for a moment. " Miss Evans."

" Good afternoon Headmaster," Lily replied with a strained smile. She still had that fear, and it was shown in the way she turned her head away, avoiding looking at Dumbledore, and she certainly didn't meet his eyes.

" How are you?"

Lily smiled slightly, and shrugged. " Coping I guess."

Dumbledore turned, picking up a quill off his desk and dipping it in ink carefully. " Do you know of the Order of the Phoenix?"

" Er...the Order sir?" Lily asked, brow wrinkling slightly in puzzlement.

" Yes, I am recruiting quite a few fine witches and wizards. I have called on you today to offer you a place in my Order. Given where you have been fighting for the past few years I thought you might not-"

" I'll join," Lily said immediately, cutting Dumbledore off. He looked at her, startled at her sudden response.

" Lily!" Remus exclaimed, giving her a sharp look. " You don't even know what you're signing up for."

Lily shrugged. " I don't care. I know quite a bit actually, and I'm joining. Besides, you're one to talk, considering you've probably already joined."

Remus sighed in defeat, shaking his head slightly.

" Excellent," Dumbledore said, pulling out a roll of parchment, littered with names. He handed her the paper, and the quill. " Sign here."

Lily picked up the quill, and hesitated, before signing her name along with the others. " When is my first mission?"

" Lily!" Remus said, looking purely shocked. " You don't even-"

" What?" Lily asked, innocently. " I want to know."

" Well you'll need a partner. I do have one mission, and the man you're working with will have to be alerted. He will be in disguise hopefully, and you will too. Do you think blonde suits you?"

" Blonde?" Lily asked, winding a lock of her red hair around her finger. " I would rather it be brown."

Dumbledore waved to Remus. " If you will."

Remus sighed, turning to Lily. " Okay, brown it is," and with a wave of his wand, he turned her hair to a dark, chocolate brown. After a bit of thought, he added some highlights and lowlights. " Now...a dress."

" I'll wear one of my own," Lily snapped, not too keen on Remus changing her clothing.

" And one more thing," Dumbledore added, " Did you ever consider adopting Faith?"

Lily turned to face him, pulling her walls close to her by instinct. " It crossed my mind a few times."

" I was wondering if you would."

Lily stood there silently. Adopting Faith would be huge, she glanced at Remus, who didn't speak up. Then at Dumbledore, who was smiling slightly. " I'd like that, if the Ministry would allow a ex-Death Eater to raise a five year old."


	21. Dance With Me

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty One: Dance With Me**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

**I'll try to start updating every week, and then maybe more during Spring Break (next week for me!) and maybe more on weekends depending on how much homework I have. **

* * *

><p>-l-Lily-l-<p>

" Dance with me, beautiful?"

I spun around on my heels in surprise. I was at this party, which was rather fanciful, for protection reasons. Remus had forced me into a long, light green dress with fake jewels and too much glitter. He said it was part of being a noble, especially in society's eyes. My hair, now dyed a plain brown looked odd, tied up in a bun. Again, Remus insisted that it was only proper. I could see he was right, every noble woman had her hair tied up, wore a sparkling gown and a fake smile.

Alice had put my hair up. I had my memory back of her, and I didn't realize how much I actually missed having real friends. In the Death Eaters' group, I hadn't really had friends. Severus...well...he was different. He stole me away and maybe I never truly loved _him _but rather who he once was. Alice was overjoyed that I was safe, seeing as there were so many disappearances. I didn't have the heart to tell her, after I found out she was now Alice Longbottom, that I was in the Death Eaters that had attacked her.

Luckily she didn't know more than my capture. My past was unknown to her, for now at least.

The man had hazel eyes, and was slightly recognizable.

" I think not," I replied, turning away. I was specifically instructed to find my partner. I was given no hint as to who he actually was, only that he knew what I looked like and would find me.

" You're not just going to walk away, are you?" came the voice from below. I stood on the stairs, a few from the bottom, gazing at the gleaming floor, which was decorated with colorful tiles. Sparkling chandeliers hung from gold colored chains, hanging from the ceiling. There were hundreds, joined together for one night, in honor of the Minister. He had held the party, even in the times of evil, when it looked like evil might strike at any moment. Lights shone brightly, and people laughed and talked. It was a happy sound, one that I hadn't heard in ages.

He stepped forward, too fast for me to notice, and then his arms wrapped around me, and he turned around, setting my feet on the dance floor. He stepped close, staring into my eyes for a moment before he whispered, " You're her, right?"

" Who...who are you?" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes at him in suspicion. My past few years of lies and trickery had taught me plenty well. I recognized him now, without the glasses he was almost unrecognizable. But if I placed that face, like I did, I could see James Potter, the boy I loved three years ago. No doubt he had probably fallen in love with some other girl, even when I did vanish for all those years.

" James," he replied rather shortly. He rubbed his nose where I could see the bridge of his glasses had once dug into his skin, leaving red marks on both sides of his nose.

" I'm Lily," I introduced, ignoring the name Ressa, which fell on the tip of my tongue. I had to bite back my instinctive response and instead forced out my real name.

" You're my new Order partner?"

I nodded. " I just joined a few days ago."

For a moment, he looked as though he might roll his eyes at me. Instead he gave me a light smile. " I'm James Potter, and an Unspeakable, so I'm well trained."

" Don't doubt my talents," I replied smoothly, " I know plenty well how to fight. And...what's an Unspeakable?" I knew of them, that they were similar to Aurors. As a Death Eater I'd been taught to fear them even more than an Auror. They were highly experienced, and were nearly as good of forces as our own had been.

" We're an elite, small group of very advanced Aurors. Sirius and I included, we are higher fighters than Aurors. We don't attack openly, we are more about stealth and trickery."

" I've seen you before, in battle," I murmured, more to myself than to him.

He had no reply, and swiftly changed the subject. " So, will you dance with me?" he asked, holding his hand out.

I reluctantly took it. " So, where's the Minister's daughter?" I asked, turning in place and scanning the crowd. This was our entire mission. We were here to protect the Minister's daughter, Tessa. She had reddish blonde hair, olive colored green eyes, and her cover name would be Olivia. She was nowhere in sight. I caught no glimpses of red, in fact, it was hard to see through the thick mass of moving people. Nearly impossible to pick any one person out.

Their spinning made my head whirl, and with all the flashing glitter, and lights, my head hurt after only a few glances, which happened as I turned. Then James pointed, motioning in a general direction. He was motioning to a large crowd of girls, all slow dancing with their husbands or dates. After multiple turns and a few pauses, I spotted her amongst the crowd. She had her hair, unlike other nobles let down freely. I guessed it was to try to not stand out, but it actually made her stand out even more. She was rather pretty, I admitted, and she had a kind smile and she played her part well.

Higher up, I could see the Minister, wearing a black cloak with a silvery sheen on the inside of the hood. He was watching the dance, and chatting with the people on his left and right. On his right, I could see Kingsley Shacklebolt, who picked at the roast on his plate. The other seemed to be just as high ranking, though he seemed not to talk as much. Behind the Minister, I could see two guards in black, twirling their wands and watching, unmoving.

Dark Times, and it was hard to find any joy around. Most people were solemn and silent, trekking down the streets, looking over their shoulders, which were often hunched with worry. Most stayed at home, not daring to venture out very often. The few parties and banquets that were held were either huge, like this one, or small and privately held. These were our few times of rare joy.

With the Dark Lord only gaining power, many were being murdered. You never knew who would die. Who would vanish. Every week you would read the paper, hearing about more deaths, and more vanishes. More and more, there were people beginning to shut away their lives, not letting anyone in. So many others joined him, while the others fought him with strength and power that most did not have anymore. A lot had given up. Given up on the hope of winning. They lost sight of what they were fighting for. Almost everyone lived in the constant fear for their children, and for themselves.

One of the few who didn't was the Minister. To kill his daughter, that would cause more confusion and fear to be added to this nasty rage. Like putting salt on a wound, or else letting it fester. He didn't fear for his life, and his daughter had no protection against dark forces.

She was drinking a glass of white whiskey, a clear, rather strong whiskey I wasn't fond of at all. I approached through the crowd, and James took a white whiskey for himself before he started to choke on it. She turned her head, and her piercing eyes and stance held one of being superior, and more important.

" Hello Miss...Olivia," I paused, unable to recall her last name.

She twirled around to look at me. With the white gown she wore, she almost looked like a muggle's idea of a fairytale princess. It was a long, flowing white gown with several shimmering, diamonds on the dress, alone with plenty of pearls. She simply enchanted the boys with her money-made looks. Her eyes were lined with silver glitter, she had pink lips, and eyes rimmed by thick, black lines and heavily mascara covered lashes.

" Something to eat, ma'am?"

I turned, reluctantly accepting a pastry, with a small smile. James took a mulled mead from another passing waiter, nearly falling in the process. She declined all with a scowl, claiming her body didn't need the fat. I glared. Like she had any fat on her at all, she was probably skin and bones. I restrained from rolling my eyes.

" So, have you ever gotten drunk before?" I asked, eyeing her glass as she emptied it. She also looked a bit faint.

She shook her head. " I never get drunk."

" Wait," I hissed. The waiter carried colored drinks, and Olivia turned, taking the only one of purple. I knocked it out of her hands, and as it fell, so did she. I could smell it, as the glass shattered, spraying the liquid everywhere. Living Death, a silver, deadly poison, colored purple to hide the silver sheen.

Another scream answered Olivia's. I whipped around, in time to see a girl wearing blue crumple to the ground, her eyes wide and glassy, staring into nothing. I turned away, knowing she was already dead. I examined Olivia, finding her only passed out from the whiskey. Living Death moved fast through the body, and killed within a few seconds.

" James!" I shook Oliva's shoulders, but she didn't move. " James, it was poison, protect the Minister!"

I turned to see him standing, wide eyed at Olivia.

" Tessa!" I began to shout. Other screams echoed around me. I plunged my hand into my robes, fumbling for the tiny bottle, and finally my fingers found the neck of the flask and I uncorked it, pouring it down the throat of the girl in front of me. " Tessa, get up!"

I threw the flask aside, hearing it shatter and another scream. She sat up, eyes wide.

" What's happening?" she asked, looking at terrified as I felt.

I met her eyes, and despite my first impression of her, as a preppy, rich girl...I found I couldn't answer. Because I didn't know the answer. " I don't know."


	22. Ministry Protection

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Two: Ministry Protection**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and flower gettin' lady. **

* * *

><p>-l-James-l-<p>

_" James, it was poison! Protect the Minister!"_

I ran through the crowd, looking for the Minister. I turned around, also looking for Lily, and for a second, my heart stopped. Lily… that girl had brown hair, but if she had red hair she could have easily been Lily Evans. Of course, Lily had vanished months ago.

I scanned the high table, seeing no easy way up. I raised my wand to cast a spell, and then I realized the quickest way was clear. Straight up. So that's what I did, scaling the area in seconds. I jumped on the table, ignoring the crashes as glasses, silverware and plates hit the ground.

I jumped to the other side, making my way through the panicked crowd to the Minister. He didn't outright show panic, but just watched the scene unfold in front of him.

I jerked on his arm, and he snapped out of his trance. "We have to get out of here!" I shouted over the noise around me.

The Minister hesitated, eyes narrowed at me as though he couldn't decide whether or not he trusted me. Finally he gave me a swift nod and followed me down the stairs. He clearly had no desire to jump from the high table either.

I raced through the crowd, where many girls were backing away from the scene. Lily had the girl up, and was ushering her away, glancing over her shoulder repeatedly and once meeting my eyes.

I was reminded instantly of Lily's emerald eyes, and I could see her staring at me through that girl's eyes. I motioned to the Minister and we followed the two girls out.

"You need to get out of here, now! We'll handle the people. More than half of them can apparate away. If you stay here any longer, Death Eaters are sure to attack," Lily warned them as soon as she closed the door.

"We can't just leave our people." the Minister argued. "They could get hurt."

"Exactly, we can't have you killed at your own party. We'll handle the people. Go!" Lily didn't shove him, but she did give him a fierce glance.

The Minister took his daughter and vanished into the midnight with a resounding _pop!_

Lily sighed as they did, turning to me. "You remind me of someone I once knew." she commented.

"Merlin, I could swear I've seen you before." I replied. "Did we meet somewhere?"

"Possibly," she replied shortly. "My name is Lily Evans."

My heart stopped. No. It couldn't be. She couldn't know me. And we couldn't be partners on a mission. She couldn't even be this girl. "Why did you say no?" I asked. It was the first thing that came out of my mouth. Anger flooded through me. How dare she come back? Was she trying to just shove my past back in my face? Did she want me to go back into my depression? "I LOVED YOU! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME BACK! WHY DID YOU SAY NO?"

She widened her eyes and stepped away. "I did love you."

"Then why?" I asked. My eyes bored into hers. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I loved you enough to protect you. I almost died for you!"

"I almost killed myself when you left! I swore I loved you, as I would have done a hundred times over!" I wasn't even aware that I was shouting now. It could have been muggle Romeo and Juliet...

"I loved you too..." her voice scarcely made a sound, even in the quiet night.

"You left me! I never stopped loving you!" I confessed. My eyes burned with unshed tears.

"You think I don't love you? Because I do. I love you James, but it's too late now," she stepped away. "I'm not the same person you fell in love with, so don't make that mistake again."

"I wanted to marry you, and you said no. You ended it, and I've always regretted not following you." I retorted.

She swallowed hard. "I know. And I want to start over," she paused, "as friends."

"Friends it is," I agreed reluctantly.

She pulled off something on a silver chain, and the next second, I saw the necklace I gave her those years ago. She held it out to me, and said, "Do you want it back?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I gave it to you ages ago-"

"On the Astronomy Tower," she finished for me. "I know James, I remember everything."

"And after all of that, you can't love me anymore?" I asked, heart breaking with every word I spoke. It was now or never. "You can't love me like you used to?"

"I don't believe that I ever stopped loving you."

"So we can try again?" I asked hopefully.

"There's a war going on, and people are dying every day James. I mean, I don't know. You could get killed on these missions, just like I could. I was a Death Eater once, and you still say you love me?" She turned to me, showing her arm. "They didn't mark me because Severus pleaded with them not to. Even so, I still belonged to them. Once…" she trailed off absently.

I took the necklace from her. "I gave this to you, because I loved you. I still love you. I'm not going to take it back, unless my love dies for you, and it never will."

"Let's try again then, I'll be your girlfriend," she said, as though it was as simple as that.

"There's a war, you could die! What would I do then?" I asked, throwing my hands up in the air.

"Move on. Don't tell me that all three years I went missing you clung to me," Lily said, her green eyes darting away from me.

"I didn't," I said bitterly. "I had one girlfriend, if you must know. She died in the war, a raid on a couple of Death Eaters, one wrong move..." I trailed off for a second, lost in a daze.

_" Thalia! Get out of here!" I shouted, ducking a few curses that were hurdled my way._

_She shook her head defiantly. "I'm not leaving you!"_

_A second later, she was brought down by a red stunner, and I was fighting too hard to even notice. Until I turned around and she was gone. Taken. Captured._

"They took her away, and then we found her a while later...dead in a roadside ditch." I paused in mid sentence, realizing how blunt that sounded. "If you died, I'd probably kill myself."

"For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo," Lily quoted, staring off into space.

"ATTACK!" someone shouted, and I spun around, cursing myself for forgetting the people.

Lily darted forward first, whipping out her wand as she vanished into the crowd of glitter and fabric before I could comprehend what had happened. She was shouting something, which sounded distinctly like orders.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" I yelled, ducking myself, and against the wall, in case the Death Eaters decided to blow up the ceiling or something similar.

Everyone obeyed, either hitting the floor or crouching like I was. I couldn't see Lily within everything, but at least the Minister and his daughter were safe.

There was a loud crash and the chandeliers threatened to tumble. I saw Lily stand up, no longer dressed in a ball gown. She had changed her gown for muggle clothing. She approached the wall where the smashing had sounded, wand raised.

"Don't do this," I heard her whisper.

She turned, just as another loud crash sounded, along with the sound of breaking glass. She looked around, just as the lights went out and we were plunged into darkness. But she didn't waver, wand still held high.

"James?" she called quietly in the silence.

I slowly rose in response to her question. Her eyes flickered to me and then back to the walls.

"They're going to bring the whole building down," she said softly. "Ceiling first."

"Won't everyone get crushed?" I hissed. "Can't we get them out of here?"

She shook her head. "If we try, there will be Death Eaters waiting for them to run. They're right outside the doors."

I nearly cursed out loud. We were trapped. "So we just stand here and wait for them to kill us all?"

"Some of them can disapparate out of here," she said. As she spoke, pops began to sound as people began to vanish. "Take others with you!" she instructed as more pops echoed in the eerie silence.

More crashes, this time on all sides of the building. A girl screamed, but was cut off as someone grabbed her and disapparated.

Lily began backing away, toward the wall. I followed her lead, backing up slowly until my back hit the wall.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, looking up at the ceiling that threatened to crumble any second now.

"What plan?" she asked. "I'm winging it!"

"Fantastic," I muttered to myself. We were going to die, weren't we?

I ducked, as a piece of rock hurdled toward my head, and just missed as I pushed Lily out of the way with me.

She shoved me back, and then turned back to the scene. There were barely twenty people left, and they were vanishing fast. "Get out of here!" she shouted at them.

The crying of a child caught both of our attention. Lily gave her to the mother, an instant before they vanished, and now we were the only ones left.

She looked around, and seeing that there was no one left, turned to me. "They'll know. I'll stay."

"No. You can come with me, you don't have to stay," I protested.

She shook her head defiantly. "I know them. I've faced them before, there's no way out unless you go now."

"They won't know!" I argued, "Just come back to Headquarters with me."

"They'll know," she replied calmly. "Severus is leading this attack, he'll know I'm here."

"How do you know he's leading the attack?" I asked, taken aback by the confidence in which she spoke.

"I know how he attacks," she replied with the same cool calmness. "He'll know that we're the only ones left. If you stay, he'll kill you. If I stay, the worst he'll do is capture me."

I grabbed her wrist, and before she could protest I turned, thinking of Headquarters.

When we landed, she didn't protest, but I could tell she was mad. I didn't get it, I just saved her life and now she didn't like me for it?

"Why are you so mad?" I asked her, as she stormed past me.

"Because, the Dark Lord doesn't give second chances. This is Severus's first solo mission, if he fails, who knows what the Dark Lord will do to him!" She turned to look at me, her eyes not really seeing me. " He'll kill him."


	23. Fate Says

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Three: Fate Says**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and flower gettin' lady.**

* * *

><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

" James, they'll kill him!" Lily protested, glaring daggers at her now-boyfriend. " I have to go!"

" He'll be fine," James assured her, without much conviction.

" You don't know their wrath James, you lost a girlfriend. That's all, he was my best friend," Lily said, emphasizing the was part. " They'll kill him." Lily tried to pull away, glaring furiously.

" Lily," James snapped, turning to face her. " I'm not letting you go back. People were dying. That one girl already did die from poison. We had to save them, that was more than half of our population probably."

A flash of fire interrupted the two. For a second, James stared at the air where the flash had been, and then spoke. " Dumbledore wants a word with us."

Lily nearly flinched at the word before taking James's hand.

Once in Dumbledore's office, James closed the door. Dumbledore sat at his desk, calmly twirling his wand. " Hello Mr. Potter, and Miss Evans," he nodded to them both.

Lily sat down stiffly, avoiding all eye contact with the Headmaster. James sat down with a sigh and looked rather intrigued. Lily was extremely wary and able to easily detect Dumbledore's attempt to get into her mind. She shut her mind down at once, locking him out rather firmly.

Dumbledore slowly turned to Lily, who still stared at his desk rather than at her old Headmaster. " Miss Evans?"

Lily slowly shifted her gaze to meet his eyes for a fraction of a second, then her gaze settled on the space of air behind him. " Yes, Headmaster?" She didn't want to be rude, but meeting his eyes could be dangerous.

" Remember what we talked about earlier this week?" Dumbledore asked her kindly.

For a long moment Lily didn't reply. She looked as though she was thinking about if she could remember or not. " About Faith?"

Dumbledore gave a slight smile. " Yes, about Faith. If you would sign here," he tapped his wand lightly, and a piece of parchment flew to her.

She stared at it for a while, and then with a snap of wandless magic used a quill to carefully sign her name. She'd been practicing for quite a while.

" Impressive magic you have learned," the Headmaster commented when, with a wave of her hand, Lily sent the parchment flying back to settle on his desk.

Lily still avoided his eyes. " Severus taught me," she replied shortly. She did not want to go into details about her teachings. Even if Severus had taught her to be one of the best.

Dumbledore seemed to observe her for a moment longer, but Lily kept her shields well up and blocked her mind.

He tried to push through to her thoughts, but she instantly had her walls up, and her mind blanked out with ease. " Headmaster, I'm warning you," she said softly, though her threat was no less frightening.

James looked between them, not catching on at all. Dumbledore turned to James now. James had no idea what Occlumeny even was, or that wizards could peer into each other's minds. Other than the brief talk from his father about it when they'd been talking of his possible Auror career.

" Headmaster, what about Faith?" Lily asked, hoping that James knew how to protect his mind.

" You just signed the adoption papers, so therefore, she's rightfully yours."

" Whoa! Wait up," James burst in now. " Who's Faith?" He looked around as though the person or thing might pop up at his command.

" Er..." Lily bit her lip. " She's a three year old girl I rescued when I was a Death Eater. I sort of adopted her..."

Seeing James' stunned look, she continued. " I thought I owed it to her since it was a pack of Death Eaters from my bunch that killed her parents."

James didn't object, instead staring straight ahead. He gave the slightest of nods, but didn't look at her for another few seconds. " So...where is she?"

Dumbledore stood up, and slowly walked around the room. " Somewhere in the castle I'm sure. She tends to go down to Hagrid's at this time, he gives her tea and some advice. She'll be back for lunch no doubt."

" You two went on a mission," he paused as Fawkes let out a small call. " Recently, and I was wondering how that went."

" There was an attack, and one girl died. It was poison, meant for Tessa. We got her and her father out first. Then I got people apparating away," Lily explained shortly, staring at the floor.

" So everyone was safe, I presume?"

" Yes sir," James replied looking at Lily who avoided all eye contact.

" Lily, I have a job for you," Dumbledore announced, giving James a warning look not to interrupt. " I want you to teach James Occlumency and Legilimency. I believe you had a one of the very best teach you, and he was taught by me."

Lily's head whipped around, and for the first time she met Dumbledore's eyes with her own gaze. " What?" Severus had been taught by Dumbledore? When? It certainly wasn't something normally taught at Hogwarts.

He only smiled in reply, eyes twinkling. " I believe you had a good teacher, now you can pass on what you know to Mr. Potter here."

Lily turned to James now. " Do you know how to resist the Imperius curse? And Veritaserum?" she asked, thoughtfully. She was trying to think of a different way rather than the way she learned. That was rather hard, considering she'd never opened a textbook while learning any of this.

" Imperius Curse yes..." James answered. " Veritaserum is impossible to resist."

Lily shook her head slowly, almost sadly. " No it's not. I can resist it. My teacher was ruthless, and unregrettful. He knew what he was doing. He broke me, but at the same time he made me stronger. He taught me with the Imperius Curse, and then Veritaserum. After you strengthen your mental capabilities to that point, it's almost easy to learn to block people from your mind. It's second nature to me. Legilimency is much harder, but after Occlumency it's not too bad."

" That's illegal, you can't use Veritaserum on people. Voldemort can't just pour it down people's throats!" James objected loudly.

Lily flinched badly at the name. " The Dark Lord shows no mercy. If you don't make it through training, you die trying. If you don't die trying, then he murdered you in cold blood. There aren't a lot of choices James. Not in the Death Eaters. You make it because he wishes it, not because you support it." She twirled her wand, changing her hair back to it's auburn red color. " He has a strong potion maker, so Veritaserum isn't hard to come by."

Dumbledore silently watched them for a long moment. " I suggest you both go to Madame Pomfrey. I'm sure she has a good meal for both of you. Rest up here for a few days, and then James, you will learn Occlumeny and Legilimency."

James dipped his head slightly in respect. " Yes sir."

" Good, now I insist you meet someone." Dumbledore opened the door to his office, and in walked a little girl.

She stopped dead, staring at Lily and James. She had her blue eyes fixed on James, and seemed to make the connection that they were a couple.

" Are you gonna get married?" were the first words to come out of her mouth.


	24. Spies of Threat

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Four: Spies of Threat**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome and americanathogwarts. **

* * *

><p>-l-James-l-<p>

I stared at this little girl. It simply couldn't be Faith, the little girl Lily had talked about. This little girl looked older than three. Plus her intelligence was more than that of an average three year old. How would she even know about marriage?

She gave me a critical look. " Well?"

" Er," I looked at Lily, who was looking at me. " No, we aren't getting married anytime soon. There's a war going on, and..." I trailed off, realizing the little girl probably had no clue what I was talking about.

" I know," she said with a sad smile. " My parents were killed in the war. You should get married, you would look cute together."

I blinked, and blinked again. How would this three year old know any of this? I sighed internally, realizing she must be living in the castle. Which meant she probably talked to a lot of the teachers. Like McGongall and Madame Pomfrey...

" So, Madame Pomfrey wants to see us?" Lily asked the Headmaster.

When he nodded, she turned back to Faith. " Come on, we'll get you something to eat. Then you can show us around."

Faith happily took to dragging my girlfriend away, laughing with her the whole time.

I missed Hogwarts, the safety of it. The feel, even walking down the halls and corridors. Not the real world, where there was dangers everywhere.

Madame Pomfrey busied herself with mixing together a couple of tonics, and then ordering us food, despite Lily's protests that we could walk.

" Here, take this," she ordered, shoving a vial at me. I took it, and sniffed it, retching at the smell of it. Lily sniffed her own, which looked the exact same.

" It's just a tonic James. It's a strengthening potion, mixed with a bit of," she paused in thought. " Just take it, and don't be fussy, it's for your nerves."

I obeyed, swallowing it down despite the bitter flavor. Then I took the pumpkin juice Lily offered me. Faith was examining Lily's necklace from where she sat.

" I still think you two ought to get married," she said, twirling the necklace in her fingers.

Lily rolled her eyes at me. " We're hardly dating."

Faith made no objection to that, curling up like a cat and closing her eyes to sleep.

" Master?" I turned to see a small house elf, supporting two trays of food.

I took them from him gratefully and handed one to Lily.

" Would Sir and Miss like anything else?" the elf offered politely.

" Er...no thank you," I replied, already cutting up my beef casserole.

For a long time there was only the clink of silverware as we were both starving. Lily had finished and was sipping from her goblet thoughtfully.

" Ever miss being younger?" she asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

" Sometimes," I replied. " I miss the Marauders I guess. We're still a team, but I do miss the pranks and the carefree life. But I love fighting, we're going to win Lily. We're fighting for what's right. The Death Eaters are fighting for someone who only wants power."

" He doesn't just want power," she murmured. " He wants everyone gone. He wants to rule alone, he doesn't like to depend on anyone. They don't all fight for him willingly. There are many, many in his forces who fear him more than anything. Fear drives them to fight for him."

" Is there ever betrayal in your forces?" I asked, poking the last bite of my vegetables.

" Sometimes. But they're all killed in the end," she answered. " There is no escape. When he decides to hunt you down, you die. Plain as that."

-l-Ella-l-

" We're attacking them again," the Dark Lord ordered as he walked around his table of the Inner Circle. Everyone else stood against the wall, their eyes wide with fear. It was cramped, even in the large room. People flattened themselves against the wall, and many injured themselves trying to get out of the Dark Lord's path when he walked.

I hid my fear well, locking my gaze with Regulus and ignoring everyone else. He smiled in reassurance.

" Again? But my Lord, they have deceived us two times already. The man shows quite a bit of reluctance to join. And the woman is no doubt a good fighter, and fast."

The Dark Lord slowed his steps and turned to face the man who had spoken. " You dare defy your master's orders?"

" No! No, it's just...what if we killed them instead? Why recruit them when you have so many followers already?" the man pointed out. He was terrified no doubt, and would probably never speak out again.

" Your words are true, but the Longbottoms are important. They have pure blood, and I do not wish for it to be wasted. I wish them to join. That can be for another time, for now we have a new mission."

" What is that my Lord?" someone else pipped up.

" Lily Evans," he spoke softly, hissing the words like a snake. I saw one man in the crowd, turn his head. " You remember her well, do you not, Severus?"

Snape, who had already turned his head nodded slowly. " I do, my Lord."

" She escaped us all. She was stolen from Severus on a mission. She was one of the most loyal Death Eaters I could ask for. Strong. Powerful magic indeed, wandless and nonverbal."

" Why do you wish us to go after her?"

" She belongs with our forces. They have moved her under His forces no doubt, she would make a good fighter on their side too. We must collect powerful blood though, and Mudblood though she is, but powerful is she not? We need her away from Him."

There were murmurs of agreement.

" But, she has joined His Order, has she not?" I heard a soft voice object.

All eyes turned to the young Death Eater. He stood a few inches shorter than me, with bright blue eyes, and a worn look in those eyes. Peter? I blinked again at him. I vaguely remembered him from Hogwarts days.

I inched a bit closer to get a better look at him. His blue eyes darted away as soon as the Dark Lord turned to him.

" Perhaps," came the Dark Lord's reply. " Peter was it?" he asked almost kindly.

Trembling, Peter nodded. " Yes, my Lord."

" You are close to Mr. Potter, are you not? The pureblood traitor?"

Peter gave a frightened squeak but nodded again. " Yes sir." He looked down at the floor, fearfully.

" See that his little Mudblood doesn't stray too far away, or we'll find her. I will not seek her now, for she is more useful on their side." He paused and turned around again, seeming to think for another moment. " We will leave both for now. I heard from one useful follower that there is an untouched town not far from here."

So began the plan of another attack on another muggle village. But I didn't hear any of it.

I was focused on the black hood of Peter Pettigrew. He was dangerous and I pulled my own hood up to hide my black hair. He couldn't know I was here. How I hadn't seen him yet, it was a miracle that he would survive.

He was probably lower ranked, I supposed. He could be one of the marked, but that didn't mean he was in the Inner Circle. Which meant he wouldn't be missed if I killed him.

I barely heard our dismissal, I was heading toward his black hood.

I waited, following him until I was sure no one would see us.

" Peter!" I hissed.

He whipped around, panic filling his blue eyes before I had him against the wall. " What are you doing here?" I demanded.

He trembled, eyes wide. " I'm a Death Eater. Annabelle, is that you?"

I put my hand over his mouth when he uttered my name, so the rest was muffled. " How dare you speak my name. My name is Ella Jacobs. Got it?"

He nodded, looking like he was going to scream like a girl. He looked as panicked as he did facing the Dark Lord, if not more so

I released him reluctantly. " Look, you can't tell James I'm one of them."

" What?" he hissed back. " I'm not telling anyone! Don't _you _tell them I'm a Death Eater. They'll think I've betrayed them!"

" But you did!" I snapped back. " And you are a Death Eater!" I could tell that I was right as soon as he shook his head.

" You can't tell!" he protested. " You can't!"

" No," I said darkly. " They can't know I am here. Not even Ressa, wherever she is. That's why I'm going to warn you now. Clear out. I can't see you again, and if I do, I'll kill you." I raised my wand in threat and mouthed the words 'Avada Kedavra.'

His eyes widened. " You don't understand. I can't just leave, he'll come after me."

" Who?" I asked. " The Dark Lord or Dumbledore? Who are you more afraid of Peter?" I paused to let the words sink in." Which side are you really on?"

He backed away from me as best as he could. " The Dark Lord would kill me."

I smirked. " So you're his spy, are you Peter?"

Peter only trembled. " Why would you kill me? I'm a loyal Death Eater."

" I also know you're in the Order. Your allegiance is sworn to two sides. Which one are you truly loyal to? The Death Eaters or the Order?" I asked sharply, giving him a shake to emphasize the question.

He looked at me like I was crazy. " Who are you to talk Ella? You're a spy too."

I blinked, wiping the shock off of my face at once. " I know where my loyalties lie, do you Peter?"

I released him and stepped back. " If I see you again, on the wrong side, I'll kill you."

-l-Sirius-l-

I sat as Padfoot, in the bushes. Moony padded forward a few steps, and then turned to look at me. I followed his lead, and he barked, dropping into a crouch.

I bent my legs and squirmed along on my belly after him. We were spying on a couple of known Death Eaters. Avery Nott, and Mulciber.

Avery was handing something to Mulciber, possibly instructions. Moony growled, baring his teeth, but I nudged him silently telling him not to strike.

The wolf tossed its head proudly, and then stretched out to watch the scene unfold. Avery was saying something to Mulciber, who looked concerned. Avery seemed to be frightened himself, and they were talking in hushed whispers.

Nothing a dog's perked ears and a wolf's tilted ears couldn't pick up.

_" It's burning Avery, why? He can't be calling us all." Mulciber was biting his lip and had his sleeve pulled back to show the Dark Mark burned on his arm. _

_" I don't know Mulciber, I've seen a few of his meetings. Some have tried running you know, and only one person ever got away. They joined forces with you-know-who." From the way they talked, I could tell it wasn't Voldemort they were talking about. Avery seemed just as desperate for a way out. _

_" Dumbledore's army that he's building?" Mulciber suggested, as they wildly threw around ideas. _

_" Yeah, a girl. Lily they called her, and some people called her Ressa. I don't know which one it is, but she's the one that got away. Some say she got help from some people on both sides. A spy maybe." Avery said, rubbing his own arm thoughtfully. _

_" She's the only one that got away?" Mulciber asked, pulling his own sleeve back up to hide the branded mark on his arm. _

_" That's what people say. Others have all been hunted down, killed." _

_" There's no other way out?" Avery asked, looking worn and tired as everyone else was of the war. _

_" No one else will trust us, you know that. The brand on our arms shows that enough. They're starting to take over the Ministry," Mulciber said worriedly. So they couldn't even go to the Ministry for help? _

_" There's no way you can get into the Ministry!" Avery hissed, looking terrified. " It's too big, they're wrong. There's no way that they can take over the Ministry." _

_" There are ways Avery," Mulciber said coldly. " They're taking it down from the inside. No one else knows. Not even some of the people working in the Ministry know." _

Moony growled, and sat up, having heard enough. He flicked his tail and flattened his ears. He finally got up, and with a swish of his tail was trotting away. I took one last glance at the two Death Eaters, who were now walking away, and padded after him.

He broke into a run, and I sprinted after him. Once, I would have loved the wind in my fur, and the sweet calm of a forest run, but now we were on a mission.

He sped up, bounding faster, and stretching his muzzle out to run like the wind. I followed, tail wagging, though I wasn't actually happy at all. We jumped over a small bump in the trail, and then I felt my fur giving away to skin. In front of me, Moony still ran, giving a loud bark. Then his reddish brown fur gave away to his blue eyes, and bronze hair. I took his hand, and we apparated to Headquarters.


	25. Occlumency

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Five: Occlumency**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Shout out to my awesome beta, SiriusBlackIsAwesome. Love ya! To everyone who has reviewed, alerted or faved, it's almost over. At least I think so...probably five or so more chapters. (Don't hold me to it!)**

**So anyway, I made some edits after it got beta-read, so any mistakes are mine. Blame me. **

* * *

><p>-l-Lily-l-<p>

This was turning out harder than I thought it would be. With Death Eaters, we started with the Imperius Curse then Vertaserum. James seemed to have no trouble throwing off my strongest Imperius Curse, but I had no Vertaserum to give him. He was proving very weak mentally, for every time I told him the basic of blocking his mind it remained open.

Maybe some of the ease for me came from having Severus teaching me. But even so, this was the fourth day of trying and he was still not learning to push me out at all. I sighed and tried to think this out.

" I can't give you Vertaserum..." I muttered more to myself than anyone.

" Just do something. We're getting nowhere!" James complained.

I narrowed my eyes at him. This was the problem. He was impatient and let all his emotions be known. He had no closed off part of him. The Marauders was the only thing he ever kept a secret.

" The Marauders, that's the key," I hissed, turning in circles as I paced. How would I go about this?

I turned to him. I didn't need a spell to get into his mind. He sat, legs crossed in a chair, looking bored beyond belief.

" Are you ready?"

He nodded, and rolled his eyes in annoyance. That wouldn't do. I pushed forward into his mind, locking my own mind so it would shut down to all outsiders.

At first I met no resistance, but then I felt his mind try to push against me. The first reaction I'd ever gotten. I pushed harder against his walls, and at first they gave away.

Then I delved for secrets, and feelings.

Images flashed in my mind. I was sitting next to three other First Years, as they swore each other to secrecy. Sirius Black, writing in neat pureblood-born writing, next to Remus Lupin's minute writing but clearly legible, and Peter Pettigrew's funny scrawl, barely readable.

Then piercing pain shot through my whole skull, and I drew back instantly. It hurt, whatever it was. But James hadn't moved, he wasn't sitting in the same position though. He was sitting, holding his head too. I withdrew to my own mind, the pain still stinging in my mind's eye.

" What was that?" I gasped, back in my own head.

" That hurt, what did you _do_ woman?" James asked at the same time.

" I did what I always do, I tried to get into your head. Then you did something, and it hurt," I hissed, blinking back tears of pain. Whatever it was it had hurt.

" I did what you told me, I tried to block you, but I couldn't even feel you push into my head."

I sat up, rubbing my temples. " You did something. It was progress, but it hurt."

" Do that again," James suggested, now sitting back up as well.

I hesitated, and then concentrated. I pushed into his mind again, and I saw another flash of memories.

_" Hey look, she's definitely Ravenclaw," young Remus added to Sirius's comment. I followed his gaze to where a young girl was. She had fiery red hair, and was chatting with another girl, 'Alice' as I caught from their conversation. We'd already labeled Alice as a Hufflepuff. _

_" Merlin, if she was in our house I don't know if I'd last all seven years," I commented. _

_" I'll be in Ravenclaw with her then," Remus sighed. _

_" Nah, you'd be bold enough to make Gryffindor," Sirius assured him. " If my family can make Slytherin then you can make Gryffindor with us. Just think, getting to spend seven years with all of us!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms over my and Remus's shoulders. _

_" I'll be like my Dad, I'll make Gryffindor," I laughed, swatting at Sirius. " Don't worry Rem, we'll make sure to save you a spot in our dorm." _

Then there was a sharp pain, again in my head. I pulled back. Sirius was saying something, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Instead, there was a numbing pain flooding through me. For a second I panicked, and then I pulled away, but his mind had mine like a snake.

I tried to pull away, but then I couldn't tell where I was. Physically, I could hear a shout, but the next instant, my mind was falling away from my body.

Another yell echoed, and then everything went black.

I could barely see, and what I could see was dark and blurry. I blinked and sat up. I was in the same room, but from what I could see from the sun, it was much later.

I heard a groan, and stood up, with the help of my chair.

" What happened?" I heard James grumble.

" I don't know, you tell me. I remember your mind attacking me, again. Then I tried to get away, but yours did something. I blacked out," I muttered sheepishly.

" I remember trying to push you out. Then I guess my mind attacked yours, and we both blacked out," James concluded, running his fingers through his hair.

" The only question is, what if you black out every time you try to get someone out of your head? And if you attack everyone who tries to get in, or if they're after what I was looking for," I wondered to myself.

" What _were _you looking for?" James asked, helping me up fully.

I didn't answer at once. " I was looking for...something about the Marauders."

James laughed. " That's why then. I've made oaths with them, vows, and I'd protect them with my life, even Peter." He rolled his eyes at Peter's clumsiness yet grinned anyway.

" What about the rest of your mind?" I asked him. " You can protect them, but what about other things you know. Like the next Order meeting?" I tapped the wall absently. " I would try to teach you to resist Veritaserum but I don't have any. I'll teach you to get into someone's mind tomorrow. For now be ready."

-l-Peter-l-

I was running, as Wormtail, along the street. It seemed like a better idea than what was running through my mind. I couldn't go to the Dark Lord. He had so many followers, he would simply murder me. I would just be a weak link to him.

Dumbledore, he thought I knew what I was doing. I did, in a way. I couldn't go to him, even he couldn't protect me from the Dark Lord's hatred, which only continued to grow. It grew powerful on all the deaths and vanishing people. He loved the headlines, in black ink, writing out the deaths of more and more wizards.

The muggle Daily News, writing about suspicions, deaths, fires, attacks, and supposed gunmen. The attacks happened all the time. Death Eaters were deployed almost weekly. The Dark Mark burned almost daily. My arm was starting to take on a almost permanent ache, from the metal burned into my skin.

I was scared for my life now. The war was getting darker by the day. Now was no time for a traitor, and I was the black sheep among all of the white ones on the Light Side. I was their traitor and I couldn't even get away from them.

I was the spy for the Light Side, but at the same time I was against them. I had to tell the Dark Lord everything I knew, which meant Dumbledore barely ever told me anything. I was left to my own devices. The Marauders flat was almost always empty. Even on the weekends, and Wednesdays. Most days they were all off on missions. James off with his new partner who was teaching him Occlumency. Sirius and Remus were off doing something for the Order, mostly spying as animagus.

Otherwise Sirius and James were called into the Ministry. The Ministry...they couldn't even control any of the Death Eaters. There were Death Eaters _in _the Ministry right now. Of course the press knew, but they were threatened with their lives if they dared to say that. So we had half our population knowing that there were Death Eaters and scared for their life. Then the other half clueless, being lied to and trusting the Ministry which _was _the enemy, and they were scared of someone they didn't even know anything about.

The Ministry was putting out safety precautions of course, and people were following them. But they weren't actually helping to save any lives. Not now at this stage of the game.

Now Death Eaters didn't have to hide. There was no Ministry officials coming to cart them off to Azkaban. Truth was, all the people in Azkaban were the wrong people. The ones who dared to speak out against the Death Eaters were thrown in there. The Death Eaters strolled down the streets with no fear of being caught.

-l-James-l-

I was picking a chicken bone out of my meal when Lily set down her silverware.

" I hate this war," she muttered and stabbed angrily at her food.

" I wish I was out there actually fighting," I said furiously, refraining from cursing only because of Faith. " I haven't been there for a _month_."

" I know. At least we have each other, and we're friends, right?"

My heart stopped. " What did you say?" I asked, thunderstruck. I probably looked like I'd just frozen up. My limbs weren't working. I heard my knife hit the floor and echo in the Hospital Wing.

" I said we're friends," Lily answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

" Right," I masked my pain with a straight face. " I'll be back later," I said, turning around and walking away. I turned the corner and I was already running, when I heard a crash of shattering glass and more metal hitting the floor.

" James! Wait!"

I ignored her for once, and stormed out of the castle, already calling on my stag form, and feeling my body instinctively give away. As a stag, my feelings weren't as free to be felt. I felt the pain of heartbreak, but at a lower level of pain. In the stag's mind, you moved on. It was nothing to worry about, there were plenty of she-deer to court.

Besides, it didn't matter as it wasn't forever. But in my human mind, I knew she'd been my everything. She still was.


	26. Of Broken Hearts

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Six: Of Broken Hearts**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome. I made tons of edits, so any errors are mine.**

**_To an anonymous review, I'm planning to finish it, then I will decide whether or not I'm going to delete the story. My other reviewers decide that, not just a anonymous review. Thank you for reviewing though, I'll think about your advice._ **

* * *

><p>-l-Peter-l-<p>

I was in another meeting. It was going on...and on. All we were talking about, or ever talked about were the attacks. It was in a dark, musty room with no windows. So the only light that there was came from dim candles all around the room or else one of the torches which sometimes broke at random.

" Ella, you will lead the first team," the Dark Lord instructed. There was a shift in the black mass, making our Ella in the middle of them all, and she lifted her head, pushing back her hood to reveal her bright blue eyes that still shone despite the darkness in her heart.

She ducked her head in reply. " Avery, Bellatrix, Lucius and," she paused, scanning the crowd for someone else, " Mulciber will be joining my squad." The three men and one woman all stepped forward to join her, shaking her hand or else nodding to her in respect for her. As she was one of the strongest in our group.

" You," he motioned to someone else. " You'll lead the second squad."

" Yes sir," came the fast reply. He rattled off a few names, stumbling over his own words out of excitement or fear I couldn't tell. Those people also stepped forward to join him and then they stood next to the first squad.

" The attacks will be led in exactly one hour, be ready, all of you."

I ran out of there as fast as I could. This was not the first meeting that I'd gone to with Ella since she threatened my life. I didn't have a choice though. The Dark Lord wanted me there, despite my plea that I was spying on the Order. She hadn't seen me luckily, and I'd kept my hood up most of the time.

But this time, I was almost sure she'd seen me. Her eyes, they had seen the torture, the death, and she'd had her own share of pain. But those eyes, they had spotted me in the crowd of Death Eaters. She would murder me, I was almost sure of it. I had an hour to get away, but at the same time I was instructed to stay by the Dark Lord himself. I had one hour to fret about my life once again.

60 minutes. I wanted out, I wanted this war over. But I didn't know which side I wanted to fight for. Which side I truly wanted to have win, because I was fighting for both sides.

" Peter, I warned you," Ella appeared, walking toward me. I turned to try to run but she caught up to me with ease.

I jumped back. " Don't kill me!" I threw my hands up in front of me out of instinct. I was terrified, she was a good duelist. Who was I, little Peter to challenge that?

She smirked. " I can't have you tell them I'm a Death Eater. Ressa knows, but she doesn't remember me. My son has to be safe, and you're the only one who can ruin his future." She whipped out her wand, pointing it at me.

I raised my wand threateningly. " I'll fight you, if I'm going to die, I'm not going to go down like all the muggles I've seen you kill." I stood up a little straighter.

She glared at me as though she would like nothing more than to duel with me. " Let's see your best then, Wormtail, the Marauder who went to the Dark Side." She stepped back, allowing me to have a bit of breathing room, and then smirking again.

I might have been the weakest Marauder, but I still learned from them. They were all fast, and could duel like champions.

I lashed out, casting a wordless spell. She sent a green jet right back, and then we were dueling. Flashing our wands, sometimes she would add in a wandless spell, but otherwise it was completely wordless as we dueled.

We were fighting to kill each other. There was no other choice. Live or die. That's how it was in war, and that's also how it was in this duel, which I knew would end badly if I lost my concentration. I was never good at dueling, and James or Sirius always beat me easily but Remus was patient and taught me dueling techniques I never forgot.

They were the only options in this war And we were all fighting to survive this war.

I slashed at her, my arm beginning to tire of the duel already. She deflected the purple curse with ease. She caught me with a blue curse, and I fell down, my wand clattering to the floor.

She stalked toward me, thinking she'd won. I scrambled backwards, across the dusty wooden floor when I had heard my wand clatter.

Just as she lifted her wand to kill me. Her eyes piercing mine just like Dumbledore did so many times before.

I felt my hand hit my wand, thin and smooth in my hand, but it was my lifeline. I tried one last time to plead with her. " Please, you don't have to kill me!"

" You're such a coward Peter, you don't deserve to live. Running to people with more power than you, hiding behind them. You coward," she hissed at me.

As she raised her wand, I pulled mine out, pointing it straight at her, I shouted, " Avada Kedavra!"

I heard her scream, even though I turned my head away, eyes closed. Like so many others, she'd fought for her life and lost. She crumpled to the ground, her eyes probably open and lifeless now.

I felt the rush of pelting death as it wiped her body of all life.

Then I lay there, stunned, staring blankly at the woman who had just attempted to kill me, not for the first time. I had killed her. She still had her hood up, and her piercing blue eyes indeed were open but stared into nothing. Her eyes wide as though the second before Death claimed her, she'd realized what I was going to do.

I had never killed. Ever. On both sides, I'd never so much as uttered that forbidden curse. But in the moment, when I was inches from death, there it was on my tongue.

I was a murderer, and that scared me more than the Dark Lord.

-l-Third-l-

Lily realized what she'd done and leapt up, her tray crashing to the floor. Her flask shattered, and everything else hit the floor a second later.

" James! Wait!" she called after him, going around the spill of food and drink.

As she ran, she looked out the window and what Lily saw stopped her. He had changed, and was running, head lowered as he did. He was running, and she was losing him.

She chased after him, through the halls, and then down through the front doors. Lily had to get to him before he made it past the school barriers.

When she ran out of the doors, he was gone though.

She looked around frantically. He couldn't be gone. He couldn't.

Then her panic ended, when she saw him. The same glasses, and hazel eyes that sparkled behind them, jet black, messy hair. The only thing he was missing was his lopsided grin that she missed and loved. She just needed him to change back from his stag form.

She walked down to the lake slowly, and stopped, standing still at the Marauder's tree's roots, and looked at him, tears slowly tracing their way down her cheeks.

" James, that's not what I meant," she said softly, not wanting to upset him.

He glared at her, a look of utter hatred, but beyond that she felt his fear. His pain was part of her pain. As long as he pulled farther away from her, the harder she had to try to keep him close to her. The stag rose, still glaring at her. For a long moment, he gave no response, then his fur gave away to skin, and the hazel eyes that still remained locked on her.

As he faded back to human, his emotions hurt more. Less complex as a deer, now he could feel his heart had broken, and he was scared to hope that she was here to tell him she loved him.

" Then what did you mean?" he retorted, fear building him a barrier against any more pain she might cause him. She was going to be the death of him, he could see it already.

" I do want to be your friend, but I didn't mean it like that. I don't just want to be your friend, I love you too much to only just be that much. And you're the one who made me remember when no one else could," she confessed, kneeling down next to him.

" You said you weren't ready for commitment, when you said no to marry me," James whispered, knowing that if she said she didn't love him, then all of his barriers would come crashing down. He wouldn't make it through another break up with her. He loved her, and if she didn't love him...

" I wasn't, at the time," Lily replied. She held out her hand, and after a moment, he held out his own, she smiled, intertwining their fingers. " Marry me James," she offered, as she pulled him to his feet, the question nearly making him fall again.

" What?" His startled gaze met her own calm eyes, which sparkled.

Lily's reply was a smirk and a glint in those emerald green eyes, " You heard me."

" Now you want to get married?" James asked her uncertainly.

" I'd be lying if I said no," Lily smiled. " I've always loved you James. Maybe I didn't always know it, but I wasn't ready for the promise of marriage. Now I am. So will you marry me?"

James turned to her for the first time since she'd sat down. His hazel eyes meeting her emerald ones, his answer already on his tongue before she'd asked the second time.

* * *

><p>So I might have just done the wrong thing. I killed my OC, Annabelle Black [Jacobs] but I had a good reason. But on the bright side, Lily proposed to James.<p>

I'm not sure how many people are cheering that Annabelle/Ella is dead. I'm hoping not everyone hated her.

Also, James and Lily have only dated for a month, and yes, then Lily asked him to marry her. It sounds insane, but in a sense, she's already dated him before so she completely trusts him.


	27. My Brother's Son?

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Seven: My Brother's Son? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by: SiriusBlackIsAwesome**

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

James smirked suddenly, his whole face lighting up. " Who'd ever say no to a marriage proposal?"

" I did," Lily reminded him lightly. " Of course, then I realized that I should have said yes to you all along. But you kept your promise. You never asked me again, I asked you."

" And I love you, but you knew that," James said, smirking. " I'll marry you."

Lily rolled her eyes. " I can't believe I let Alice bully me into proposing to you. You know, she always did say that if you didn't pluck up enough courage to then she would end up doing it herself. You know she'll probably kill me with all the wedding plans, right?"

James rolled his eyes as well. " You think Alice is going to be bad, Sirius will never stop teasing me. He'll have a heart attack and then go crazy. He might go far enough as to trying to plan our life after that..."

* * *

><p>" WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE GETTING MARRIED?" Sirius shouted at the top of his lungs, hitting James on the back. Next to him, Remus had his hands over his ears and Peter cringed.<p>

" I just did Padfoot! You guys are the only ones who know, though I suspect Lily will be telling Alice about now," James replied, rubbing his ears and making sure they still worked.

" What? I didn't hear what you said!" Peter shouted, his hands clapped firmly over his ears.

Remus took his hands off his own ears. " Peter, Padfoot is done yelling, you can take your hands off your ears now.

Peter did as he was told. " So what was the news?"

" I'm getting married," James replied, bracing himself incase Sirius decided to shout again.

Sirius grinned, clearly pleased with himself. " And I'm planning his bachelor party."

" What? No, Padfoot we aren't going to have a-"

" No Marauder is going to be tied down without going out with a bang. We're throwing you a bachelor party and you're going to enjoy it," Sirius cut James's protests off.

Remus sighed, rolling his eyes. He knew better than to argue with Padfoot once he had an idea in his head. Sirius was determined to throw Prongs a bachelor party, and so no doubt James would get a bachelor party.

" She said yes?" Peter asked, looking confused.

" I didn't ask her," James replied, smirking that traditional James Potter smirk that he always wore.

" Did she ask you?" Remus asked, seeing right through to the answer, his eyebrow raised in suspicion.

James gave him a mock glare. " Why?"

" She did," Remus stated smiling, knowing that he was right. " She asked you to marry her."

James smirked his legendary Marauder smirk. " I said yes."

Remus grinned happily, and James tackled him. The two rolled around, a lot like Sirius and James usually did. Then Sirius decided to get involved and cuffed James over the head, sending his ears ringing painfully.

Peter stood apart from them, hoping not to get dragged into the scuffle. Which of course was inevitable.

* * *

><p>" There is no way that child is going into Sirius Black's custody, he's no son of mine," the woman at the counter snapped fiercely. She had black hair, and brown eyes, which burned fiercely into the eyes of the person managing the counter.<p>

" I'm sorry , but Orion Black didn't sign the papers to disown his son. His other son is giving the child up, and as a woman, you can not be Head of the Black household," the man said politely as he could manage in this stressful situation.

" Nonsense, he's disowned. He is not my son. No grandson of mine is going to Sirius Black," she repeated, glaring as though it would change things.

" Madame, I can do nothing. Your husband is dead, and he did not sign the papers. That makes the child in discussion the rightful nephew of Sirius Black. He will take custody of him soon, and he will be informed shortly of his brother's decision," the man at the counter said.

He waited for her to leave, and after a long silence she did, furiously fuming the entire time. " You'll hear from me about this!" she shouted, leaving, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

><p>" What?" Sirius asked the man at the door.<p>

The Ministry official picked up the paper again. " According to this paper, you are the Head of the House of Ancient and Noble Black. Your brother has given up his son and placed him in your custody after the death of his wife," the Ministry official read.

Sirius stood there, with James and Remus behind him. Next to James was Lily, who was holding Faith's hand to make sure she didn't take off, and Alice, who was there to celebrate Lily and James's engagement. Then there was Peter, who was standing at the front, but slowly backing away, his blue eyes widening more and more as the Ministry official read.

" I heard you the first time," Sirius snapped, " So what does this mean for me?"

" Your brother's son is now under your custody," the man stated. Sirius blinked uncomprehendingly.

" Your brother?" Lily asked, stepping up, and handing Faith to James. " Isn't he married to Annabelle Jacobs?" she had her hand up near her mouth, eyes wide with shock.

Sirius shrugged. " I didn't even know he got married. But yeah, I think that's his wife. Annabelle Black now," he corrected cautiously.

" Er, when is he coming here?" Sirius asked, still in shock.

The man looked at the paper. " Right now he is under Ministry protection, and in their hold but within a week's time he'll be cleared and we'll have everything sorted out. Your brother will be bringing him, right now he's in court to give him up."

" My brother? Regulus?" Sirius asked, as though he might have another brother.

" So Annabelle is dead?" Lily asked, looking like she was going to cry. " And her son is coming here?"

Sirius nodded. " My brother married her a while ago I think. I heard from my cousin, Tonks, that my brother got married. He said it was a private wedding and not a lot of people knew. I didn't believe him though, in the middle of the war."

" Annabelle had a child?" Alice was asking Lily. " What's his name?"

The Ministry official scanned the paper. " Devante Sirius Black," he replied after a long moment of flipping through the parchment.

All of them stared at the Ministry official as though he'd lost his mind.

" You're kidding, right?" James asked first. Next to him, Sirius was silent for once, and his grey eyes were large with shock. He had always thought Regulus didn't care about him. That after he'd gone to the Death Eaters, he'd forgotten his older brother. But here was evidence that Regulus did care about him, and hadn't forgotten him at all.

Regulus's wife had died, and he had a son? Sirius had a nephew, and now his brother was going to give up his son to his brother. Was his brother crazy? Regulus was giving up his own son to his outcast, disowned brother who was a Gryffindor, and everything that the Black family had hated. He had been a Gryffindor, and his brother had done what was 'proper' and had joined Slytherin.

Devante Sirius Black. Not named after his father's name, but for his uncle's. Proof written in ink that Regulus had never forgotten his Gryffindor brother, who had been a rebel. Free and had broken all the rules his parents set down.

And Sirius vowed to never let anything happen to his nephew. He wouldn't let anyone hurt his nephew, who was of a Slytherin and Gryffindor's blood.

" No sir, Devante Sirius Black that's what it says right here," the man said as though they dared to confront the piece of paper.

* * *

><p>Somewhere else, Regulus Black was sitting in court, waiting to give up his only son.<p>

He gazed down at his son's picture, regret still lingering. He knew what he was doing was right.

His son would get nothing from a father who was gone half the time, off being a Death Eater.

His wife wouldn't have chosen this life for their son. But it was all he had left. He would go into the Dark Arts, and hopefully his brother could protect his only son from the same fate.

He was strong enough to make it, without Annabelle. As much as he loved her and their son, this was right. It didn't feel right but it was the only thing Regulus could do.

What would his brother do with his son, who he had so fatefully named Devante Sirius Black? Would he throw him out like he had been, at only sixteen when he'd run? Or would he take it as an apology for all the hate and anger Regulus had shown his brother over the years, when really he never hated him?

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><p>Not really sure I like this chapter...that's why it was so late going up.<p> 


	28. Werewolf Mission

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Werewolf Mission**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

**Beta read by my amazing betas americanathogwarts and SiriusBlackIsAwesome. (Love you guys! I mean gals...you get the point)**

**Okay so, I know I'm late. Very late. I was doing State Testing all last week and had no time to write. I had to study and then I had a lot of poetry this week assigned by my teacher. Let me tell you, poetry is no strength of mine and I spend about an hour just trying to fit in all the words, and then another thirty trying to get all the metaphores and all that stuff into it. **

**So, you probably wanna read the chapter now so I'll just...leave. **

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

" What about this one Lily?" Alice asked, holding up a midnight blue, flowy dress with glitter all over it. It sparkled like the night sky, reminding Lily of that night on the Astronomy tower.

Lily herself held a pile of dresses in a shopping cart in a muggle store. She shrugged, " Anything, I'm going to try everything on." She busily pulled out a sparkling green dress, twirling it around to see how it would move if she spun around.

" Hmm...Alice? What are we actually _looking _for?" Lily asked, examining a dark sapphire colored dress with fake diamonds clinging to the top part.

" Anything suitable," Alice replied, pulling out a fluffy pink dress and quickly shoving it back on the racks.

" For what exactly?" Lily asked, pushing her cart to the next aisle.

" We're crashing their bachelor party of course," Alice replied easily. " They didn't invite us, so we'll invite ourselves."

" But it's a _bachelor _party," Lily stated rather clearly.

Alice smirked, grabbing a few more dresses to add to their high pile of dresses already thrown in the cart. " Exactly," she replied. " Now, try these on," she said, shoving Lily into a dressing room without hesitation, and ignoring the glare from a store manager and the sign that read, ' No more than 8 items in the dressing room at one time.'

Lily rolled her eyes and pulled on the first, a sky blue with glitter that flew everywhere if she so much as moved an inch.

She walked out, scowling at Alice who laughed, and was dressed in pink. " I don't think it's your color Lily. Too much glitter," she commented. " I would like this one, if it wasn't as bright pink," she said, twirling in the hot pink dress for show.

" I'll stick with green," Lily said, picking out the other colors. Pink didn't match with her red hair, and orange clashed horridly with anything red.

Alice shot a glance at the store manager who was glaring daggers at the two girls. Lily backed into her changing stall again, this time choosing a short, emerald colored dress. [Use your imagination people!]

Alice was already outside, tapping her foot impatiently. " This is the one," she said happily, twirling around in a circle. The dress was an almost dull colored blue, but still very pretty and one of Frank's favorite colors as Lily knew from Alice's never ending stream about her husband.

" That one is very pretty," Alice commented, looking at the green dress. It was bright green at the top, and as it went down it turned into a dusty green until it was black at the hem which fell a bit below the knees.

Alice herself wore a light, baby pink colored dress, with layers, and the hems of the layers were silky black, and fell a little lower than Lily's.

Then Lily twirled, examining the dress in the mirror and looking behind her. There, standing behind her, and right outside the dress shop was Potter.

James Potter.

It was unmistakable, his wide hazel eyes, sparkling behind his moon glasses, and his messy black hair and his eyes locked on hers.

Lily froze, and Alice whipped her head around to look at what in Merlin's name Lily was looking...oh. She stared with wide brown eyes at Lily's fiancee.

For a second, they stared. Then, James opened the door, and walked right up to her despite the woman shouting that this was not a place 'suitable' for men.

He stopped right in front of the girls, and did a spinning motion with his finger.

_Twirl. _

Lily hesitated, and then she did. She spun, and let the dress swirl at her knees. She spun around, again and again. She wasn't aware of what direction she was facing, only that she was spinning around and around.

When she stopped and slowly turns to face James, he looked slightly dazed, like he did on their first real date.

" Do you like it?" Lily asked, blushing nearly as red as her hair.

James tilted his head to one side, and then looked at Alice as though thinking hard.

" Er," was the only sound he seemed to be able to say that was even comprehendible. " Erm."

Lily bit her lip nervously, waiting for his answer.

He finally moved, taking her hand in his. " Dance with me?"

Lily stared. " Now?" she asked, glancing around the nearly empty store. Not that she didn't want to dance with him...but in a store? There were people walking by in the store, and...people outside the store who could see in!

But to heck with it. She didn't care. She would go to the ends of the earth for this man she loved. She loved him, and would follow him anywhere.

" Why not?" she said finally, stepping forward.

But he let go of her hand and stepped back. " Not now, I mean later."

Lily rolled her eyes. " Alright, if you promise you won't shag any other girls at your bachelor party," she bargained.

" No promises," James teased, darting out of range when Lily made a move to smack him.

* * *

><p>" Padfoot, tell me I'm not seeing what I <em>think<em> I see," James complained, staring at the automobile he was so fearful belonged to Sirius.

Sirius grinned, nearly jumping for joy. " Well Prongs, what do you_ think _you see?"

" A motorbike," James replied, poking it tentatively as though Sirius might have charmed it to gnaw his arm off, chew it up and spit it out again.

" Want to fly on it?" Sirius asked, starting it up, and the engine gave a fierce roar.

" It can _fly_?" James gasped, staring at the motorcycle with a new awe. " Seriously?"

" Yeah, wanna take it for a spin?" Sirius offered, nudging the kickstand, ready to fly.

James stood there, seeming to think about the pros and cons. " Oh heck to it," he muttered, jumping on without another second of hesitation, and Sirius took off.

* * *

><p>Remus picked up a letter from the phoenix, and stroked Fawkes for a few seconds while he opened the letter.<p>

_Remus, _it read

_There is need for you at Headquarters. I request that you arrive shortly and be ready. _

_We will meet at 7:00 at Number Five. _

_I wish you luck until then, _

_Albus Dumbledore_

He folded it carefully, and burned it with the tip of his wand, watching the flaked, curled black ashes fall to the floor.

For a long moment, he stared at the glowing embers that died as they touched the cold air, and then he closed his eyes.

This war wasn't easy, it was brutal and was a raging storm. It was only the calm before the storm, or at least right now. He could feel the tension, even with Lily and James planning their wedding. The storm would begin when the real war did.

The Marauders, well they weren't the same. Yes, they were four friends-best friends. But Peter was often gone on missions, Sirius was trying to find a way to fight harder than he had a week ago. Remus himself didn't have a lot of options. While Sirius and James were working as Aurors, both good duelists and very quick, Remus was left alone.

Peter hardly ever showed, and when he did, he looked constantly sickly. Only last week, he had seemed even more distracted, jumping when anyone spoke to him. He was very twitchy and his eyes blinked rapidly as they talked of the new deaths, one, Annabelle. He seemed to flinch when they talked about Death Eaters killing her.

Remus had insisted that if Dumbledore was giving Peter hard work, that Peter should take a break or at least insist he was tired. But Peter shook his head vigorously, claiming that he was find and just needed a bit of air.

Lily and Alice were being girls, fighting in the war just as hard as the men, if not harder. They were also letting loose, laughing and talking like friends did. Alice said she was pregnant, and at first she was afraid for her child, bringing him or her into the middle of this horrible war. But the good thing, was it gave them hope. They had something to fight for, and Frank was fighting for his child's life on the battlefield. Lily and Alice fought to keep their lovers alive, and in Alice's case her child.

With Lily and James' wedding approaching fast, the Marauders were working harder than ever. Alice and Frank managing the few guests that would be attending, and the decorations. The Marauders would be the entertainment and life of the party. It would be a small wedding, though Sirius was determined to party through the night before, with a huge bachelor party that he was determined to throw for James.


	29. Execute

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Execute**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Beta read by SiriusBlackIsAwesome.**

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

Remus excused himself from the games and fun that everyone was having five minutes before seven. Faith was eating pudding, and had it all over her face, having ignored her spoon and its purpose entirely. Next to her was Devante. He had his father's jet black hair, which looked promising to be like his father and uncle's wavy black curls. He was sleeping at the moment, but when he opened his eyes they were the same brilliant, ocean blue that his mother had. Lily picked him up, taking him off to the nursery for bedtime.

Faith trotted along, holding her bowl of pudding, and still neglecting her spoon. Her red hair bouncing along with her, as she hopped along like a rabbit. So it came as no surprise that halfway down the hall her pudding spilled, and Remus could hear Lily clean it up with a wave of her wand, and Faith crying over her spilled treat.

Sirius and James were in the kitchen, probably making a mess. James couldn't cook for the life of him, and Sirius had no experience whatsoever. Luckily, Alice barged in, demanding to know if they were demolishing the kitchen.

James and Sirius reappeared moments later clutching pieces of leftover pie, with a bottle of cream. Remus rolled his eyes and stole a piece of Sirius' pie, when Sirius wasn't looking of course.

Then he left, shouting a cheery goodnight to everyone. But as the door closed behind him, that smile faded away, and he sighed, pulling his travel cloak tighter around himself.

He glanced around, making sure no one was watching him as he walked to the street corner alone. No one offered to come with him, and he stopped at the end of the street, once again pivoting on his heel, his golden eyes flashing around the area. Seeing no one in sight, he spun on his heel and vanished into thin air.

He appeared at the Burrow, which was Number Five of the safe houses for the Order. There were only five, but that was enough to keep from being discovered. Once he landed, he sprinted to the door, knocking with their certain pattern of knocks and then giving the password.

Molly let him in, her red hair a mess, and she fixed him a bit of potato soup and warmed a bit of bread. Remus was munching on the bread, dipping it in the soup when Dumbledore arrived, apparating right into the Burrow without a thought to the safety shields. None of them went off, and it seemed that they had no utter effect on him.

He brushed off his robes as though they might have dirt on them, and straightened his wizard's hat. " Well Remus, I hope you had a safe journey."

" Yes sir," Remus said immediately, setting his spoon down. " You summoned me for a mission?"

Dumbledore's little happiness seemed to fade. " Ah, yes. The mission is complicated, I'm sure you could manage it though...I wouldn't go as far as to say that I would encourage you to accept it. I would think about it Remus, and talk to your friends about it. The mission is not an easy one, nor is it safe."

Remus shrugged. What was new? There was always danger these days, even walking down the street was dangerous. You could be mugged by snatchers, or jumped by Death Eaters who would either murder you on the spot or else kill you after torturing you. As for easy, were any of the old man's missions easy ones? They consisted of breaking into the Death Eaters' lair, attacking Death Eaters when they threw an attack at a muggle village, infiltrating the Ministry to drag known Death Eaters to the surface and the most recent, setting out spies to the other side to gather information on Voldemort's plans.

" I don't care, I'll do it," Remus replied shortly, stabbing at his soup.

" You have not even heard the extent of my request," Dumbledore reminded him.

Remus sighed, stirring his soup absently. " Then explain."

" I want you to find a way into Voldemort's lair, through werewolves," Dumbledore spoke shortly, though he seemed far from done explaining the plan. " He promises great things to the Dark Creatures who he can collect. Not monsters by society, and work," he spoke carefully, as though he thought it might trigger something.

" But," Remus began. It was a lie, he knew that. But it was still tempting. All Dark Creatures were shunned by society, and they weren't able to work like other people. They couldn't simply blend in with the muggles though. Their call was the Magical World, and they couldn't work like the other people there either. Work was hard to come by. There was little or no pay. In fact, many wizards believed that 'monsters' should not be given education. It was believed that they were stupid, unable to learn and posed a threat to the other children. When in fact, many of them possessed an interest to learn and their monstrous side actually strengthened their ability to do so.

" But, who would believe that?" he asked, looking at Dumbledore as though he'd grown antlers.

Dumbledore fixed him with a saddened gaze, a mixture of sorrow and hope. " Many of them are jobless Remus. They don't have a supportive family and most have no friends. Nothing to lose, nothing to gain. So why not fight for something that gives them hope? The hope that one day, society's eyes won't be as cruel. That maybe they'll realize that they've been blinded from the truth by their fear. That these are people, just like you and me. They deserve a chance. Most of them don't get much of a choice, they don't have the little freedom that you do."

Remus sat across from Dumbledore, contemplating this carefully. True, he didn't have a job but at least he had friends, who had become his family.

They had supported him when he needed it most. He knew he was fighting for what was right. He had accepted long ago that society would _never _see him as any more than a monster. Yeah, it hurt, but it was the truth.

" I'll do it," Remus repeated, lifting his head a little higher. He had no doubts, and just like the other werewolves, nothing to lose. His parents were already dead, and he had no wife or love. Yes, he had the Marauders and Lily, Alice and Frank, but even if he did die, he would die with honor, at least in their eyes.

Dumbledore smiled. " I do not accept. Talk to your friends, you'll be surprised at how much they depend on you Remus. Owl me your answer in a few days and think it over. I do not ask you easily, for it is hard to put you in this situation."

" Who is the leader?" Remus asked, pulling his bread apart, bit by bit but not eating any of it.

" You know him well, and this is the reason I do not wish to send you on this mission. But I believe you are the most equipped for this type of mission. He goes by the name, Fenrir Greyback." He stared solemnly at Remus, waiting for a reaction.

Remus froze, his golden eyes staring unblinkingly out the kitchen window.

_There was a snarl, and the creature bared its lips back to reveal its long, snapping jaws. It reared, with a howling snarl, lunging forward. _

_There was a shout, and Remus whipped around, seeing his mother stare at the creature with fear he'd never seen on her beautiful face, she screamed again, a scream that pierced the night air. _

_The animal rose, with a roar. Its hot breath hit Remus' cold skin, and the next instant, it sank its teeth into his shoulder, right where his neck met his shoulders. _

_Remus was knocked over with ease, and the animal bit only harder when Remus cried out. Piercing golden eyes locked onto his wide blue ones, and he tried to pull away. _

_Claws raked down his side, drawing more blood in their path. _

_Remus screamed again, and this time, a curse shot through the air, sending the wolf tumbling away from the five year old. _

_He stared in horror as the wolf rose again. For a long moment it stood, eyeing Remus with a glint of satisfaction before it threw its head back in a howl of victory. Remus could nearly make out the words of the wolf before he passed out. " Mine. You are mine, little pup." _

So he supposed he was in a way belonging to Fenrir. He was made a werewolf by the wolf's teeth, and by wolf law, was part of his pack unless Fenrir drove him out or else he managed to run away.

" I accept the mission nevertheless," Remus finally said and Dumbldore nodded.

" I must go now, I have other matters to attend to," Dumbledore lifted his wand, and swept it though the air as though searching for something. After a moment, seeming to have found what he was looking for, he turned once more to Remus. " Until then," he nodded and disapparated away.

A minute or so later, Molly came back in. " He's gone already?"

Not waiting for an answer, she took Remus' dishes and with a wave of her wand, got them to begin to wash themselves.

" Alright dear, I think you'd better be getting back. You look a bit tired, no doubt you could use some good rest. Do say hello to the rest of you for me," Molly said, fetching his cloak for him.

" Goodnight Molly, thank you for the soup," Remus said, giving her a hug and shrugging on his cloak.

" Oh it was nothing dear, have a safe trip," she said, ushering him out.

Remus sighed. Who ever said life was easy?


	30. That's War

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Thirty: That's War**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

The wedding would be soon. The decorations hung all around the small yard. Lily had gone to great lengths, suffering through plenty of fittings and Alice's constant chatter to get he dress.

" I don't see why you _have _to go," Sirius protested, his grey eyes blazing with fury. " There are plenty of other werewolves that would be perfectly equipped for the job."

" I don't have to Padfoot, but it's my choice, not yours!" Remus retorted, crossing his arms much like Lily would when she got in a fight with James.

" But what if you die? What if Fenrir turns against you and rips you to shreds?" Sirius snapped, making all the points he'd already made.

" Then," Remus replied impatiently, " it'll be my problem not yours Padfoot. I'm going and that's final."

" Take me with you then."

Remus' golden eyes locked with Sirius' determined grey ones. " No. I'm not going to have you hurt too."

" So you're just going to leave? Take off and not come back?" Sirius asked, his voice turning deadly serious.

" If that's what it takes," Remus replied calmly. " Look-"

" No you look. We love you, and you're part of our family. I'm not going to let you go because Dumbledore thinks it might change anything. You think you're fighting for nothing, you think you have nothing to lose!" Sirius threw his arms up around him as he said the next few lines. " What about us? What about_ me_? How will I have anyone if you leave? Prongs is going to be married. Peter's off in his world of depression-has been since Annabelle died! How am I going to make it through without you?"

Remus blinked, and stared blankly at his best friend. " I...I don't know," he answered honestly.

Sirius huffed, and half glared at the werewolf. " I won't make it without you Remus. I won't, and you and I both know it. You'll die out there!" He gestured as though to the whole war going on.

" I'll die doing what's _right_!" Remus snapped. " I'll die fighting in this war! I'll die trying or I'll make it. I don't want to die, but if I have to, I'm not going to sit back and do nothing. I won't watch my friends die for me. I won't be there to watch you crumble."

Sirius turned away for a long moment, and then swiveled to face Remus. " I'll go crazy like the rest of my family. I'll die without my brothers."

" Your brother is already a Death Eater," Remus pointed out unhelpfully.

" I meant my true brothers," Sirius answered. " You and Prongs are my brother. Pete too, if he was himself."

Remus sighed, and twirled his wand in his hands. " He's depressed. He'll be fine," he muttered, hoping he wasn't lying to himself.

" He's not _fine_." Sirius was scowling now, " He's not himself. He's gone all weird."

Remus shrugged, " It's what war does to people."

" Like you?" Sirius asked, and without waiting for an answer he stalked off, anger still burning through his veins. He knew he shouldn't be mad. He and James fought all the time in the war. They were sent on missions that were much more dangerous than what Remus was planning to do, but it didn't help quell the anger still coursing through him.

He hated Remus for this. Remus knew that all the Marauders had a strong bond. Almost unbreakable. They all protected Remus. Anyone who messed with Remus got at least twice as much as they'd given him. James and Sirius were both fiercely loyal to Remus and would stand by his side in an instant if danger threatened their friend.

But what Remus had said about Peter stuck in Sirius' mind. He was depressed no doubt. But he wasn't just depressed. He avoided the house a lot, and though he seemed to love Faith, there was a sort of fear that glazed his eyes when he looked at Devante. Most of the time, he would flash Devante a swift glance and then become absorbed in something else almost immediately after. Sirius often wondered if Peter didn't quite take to his nephew, but Peter insisted that he was fine and that Devante was a very cute baby. Indeed the child had much of his uncle and father's looks, but his eyes were those of his mother. Sirius guessed that Peter did not like younger children, babies, for they were cute but also very fragile.

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><p>Lily and Alice were cooking, James and Remus went shopping and Sirius was carving a piece of wood with his old knife. It was a good knife, and he had discovered that carving wasn't half as bad as he thought. Yes, it as a bit mugglish but it kept him busy, and away from wallowing in his fears of the war.<p>

Lily looked at Devante, who was staring at her with his wide blue eyes, and announced that someone needed to feed him. She got his bottle, and plopped him in Peter's lap, as Peter was the only one not doing anything 'useful', as she put it.

Peter froze at once, and Sirius set down his knife for a moment to sharpen it. Peter closed his own blue eyes, pretending he couldn't see those blue eyes he was sure were fixed on him. He stared instead at a wall, or Sirius, who fixed him with an odd look. He glanced down at the baby, and those blue eyes blinked up at him. They were full of trust and adoration. Peter couldn't take it anymore, he very nearly threw the child down and ran out of the house, looking like he was having a heart attack or the devil itself was at his heels.

Sirius was quick to grab his nephew out of harm's way, and he stared after Peter. While Peter cursed that the child had Annabelle's eyes and not Sirius and Regulus' traditional grey. At least then he would be able to look the child in the eyes.

Peter stood, shaking outside the house. That child, it was all wrong. He hadn't meant to kill Annabelle, but here she was, in the form of her child. He could almost see her looking back at him with hate and anger, ready to murder him. He could see the shock that flickered across her eyes just before he killed her. He could hear the echo of her last scream, still in his ears and her blue eyes in his mind's eye.

Peter had nothing against the child, but those eyes seemed to cut into his very soul. Just like Dumbledore, but in a completely different way. It was almost as though the child was a part of Annabelle. The girl she used to be. The one who laughed and twirled as she danced. The one who was happy as ever with Regulus, and the one who married him at the end of that aisle. The girl who used to be a fantastic dueler, and who fought for the Light Side.

But she loved Regulus, and was drawn to him like a fly to sugar. She let him be her world, and he turned her into a devil's daughter. She looked sweeter than sugar, but she was viciously loyal to Regulus and would do anything to keep him at her side. She loved him, and it wasn't a rebound relationship. She loved him just like Lily and James loved each other. But she didn't realize that it was going to be the end of her life.

Regulus had suffered at the Death Eater's lair. No one else cared that Annabelle was dead. The Death Eaters did lose some people, but not as many as the Light Side, which was badly outnumbered. They hardly ever realized any of the deaths that occurred.

Peter was now passing more information from the Light Side to the Dark. He found out, that Annabelle had been the one giving away information on James. The Dark Lord intended to kill James, because of the disobedience and defiance.

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><p>Also, I'm starting a new fanfic. It's called Always and Eternity, JamesLily as usual. So check it out if you get the chance! I'm not sure if this will go on hold, I'll try not to put it on hiatus.


	31. Suspicions Rise

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Thirty One: Suspicions Rise**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

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><p>-l-Third-l-<p>

Faith sat cross legged on the floor of the living room, watching Devante as he sat on a pillow in the middle of the room. She was eating gummy worms, pretending to bite their heads off, then their tails before finally eating their middle.

Padfoot bounded in the door of the house, his tail wagging, barking to the whole world. James rolled his eyes at his friend and pretended to ignore him. At this, Padfoot leapt on James, using his sloppy pink tongue to make James run, desperately trying to get dog slobber off of his face. Lily laughed, and made sure that the clumsy mutt didn't run Devante over.

Padfoot barked and chased after James, tail flying and legs a tumble of fur and claws. He scrabbled to follow James around a sharp corner, only to be pounced on by James. He gave a sharp yelp, baring his teeth but not biting.

Within seconds, they were in a wrestling match, and after a moment, Sirius appeared, shoving James off of him.

Someone knocked on the door.

Everyone froze. James and Sirius' eyes snapped to the door in an instant. Lily froze, in the process of getting ice cream out of the freezer. Faith, who had been biting the head off of her yellow and red gummy worm stilled. For one stretching moment, the house was completely silent.

Then Faith screamed, she was on her feet in a second, screaming, her blue eyes wide with fear. Lily ran to her at once, scooping her up and did the same with Devante, slowly backing away from the door.

James and Sirius raised their wands threateningly, and in one movement, the door flew open. Sirius shrank into Padfoot, his eyes turning a colder grey than anyone had seen. In walked Albus Dumbledore, looking calm as day mind you.

He glanced around, and took in the house with one glance. His eyes swept from Padfoot, whose hackles were raised and a snarl escaped his bared teeth. Then to James, who stood protectively in front of his family, his fierce hazel eyes looking ready to skin someone alive. Behind him was Lily, who held both children as though they were her own. Her emerald green eyes flickering with every bit of hate and fear that she could manage in one look. Faith's blue eyes were open and stared at the door with a terror that he'd only seen when he had first rescued her from her neighbor's desperate arms.

He walked in, taking in the scene around him. " Hello James," he nodded to James, who seemed to waver and then slowly drop his wand.

" Sirius, if you would," he requested. Silently, Padfoot stepped forward, changing back into his human form, though his grey eyes slowly lost their fury.

Lily still stared at him as though he was dangerous. " How do we know it's really you?" Lily's wavering voice was met by instant silence.

In an instant though, two wands were aimed at the Headmaster. He looked at both of his most troublesome students. " Ask me a question then," he said, deciding it would be best to get it over with now.

" What did we do on the day we graduated?" James demanded.

Lily seemed to dislike the question however. " Be more specific. Almost all of Hogwarts saw your presentation."

" Alright then, what spell did we use?"

" A highly complex confundus charm on the Slytherins. Another of high complexity on the Ravenclaws, turning them blue was not your best idea. On the Hufflepuffs I believe a transfiguration charm to make their silverware turn into yellow badgers which ate all of our tarts unfortunately. As for your own house, if I recall correctly, you made a griffin fly, and it roared like a true lion."

Slowly James' wand fell to his side, and he stepped back to let Dumbledore in. Sirius was slower, backing away but not having his wand drop until he finally let it falter.

" What news do you bring?" Lily asked, not letting go of Faith, but passing Devante to her husband. James slid into a chair, while Lily placed Faith on her leg, while she herself sat down.

" He is moving. He is following you as you move safe houses. He has to have a spy. This is the second one he's found in a week. You'll have to move again," Dumbledore sighed, getting out a piece of parchment to write their new address, but already, Lily was shaking her head.

" We can't keep moving. He only wants us because we can fight. I'm not going to fight for him again," Lily stated flatly. " I'm not. I know what it was like. I am not going to do that ever again."

James turned to look at Lily, but he said nothing. His eyes rested for a second on Faith, but then he turned back to Dumbledore. " What is this about a spy then?"

For a long moment Dumbledore was silent, and then he nodded. " I thought that.. Perhaps, one of the people you have trusted betrayed your trust."

James looked at Sirius, who blinked right back. " But Sirius and Remus...and Peter, they would never.." he began to protest.

Dumbledore gave him a slightly sharp, but understanding look. " The people you trust the most may well be your worst enemies. Trust, seems foolish when you are betrayed. Before that though, you would never see it because trust stands in the way. People can change James. People _do_ change, some for better and some not."

James looked at Dumbledore, astounded. For a long moment his hazel eyes searched Dumbledore's piercing blue ones. Searching for a sign of a lie, anything that would tell him that Dumbledore was lying. Because it couldn't be true. It couldn't.

Lily was going to marry him. Sirius was his best friend. Remus, he was a werewolf but he was unbelievably loyal to the Marauders. Peter, he was too scared to do anything for the Dark Lord. Nothing would make any one of his friends turn against him. But even so, one of them had.

Lily looked almost bored by the news. There was no flicker of fear or pain in her eyes. She knew one person who would betray them, in fact, she knew who it was. Annabelle. She had seen her in the Death Eaters place, of course she hadn't recognized her at the time. Even so, how could it be Annabelle? After all, Annabelle was dead, and her own son was in James' arms.

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><p>Bachelor's Party:<p>

Sirius had started a food fight, which wasn't entirely unexpected. James had gone to tearing apart the cake, and throwing bits of frosting at Sirius, whose face was now all white with two grey eyes peeking out.

Peter yelped and tried to flee from the pieces of cake that were flying through the air. Never had he ever thought he'd actually be afraid of food. In fact, he loved food. While James tore apart the cake, Peter tried to stuff himself with what other food was on the table. Lily would not be pleased at the idea that her house now had icing all over the floor.

Remus was shouting himself hoarse, trying to stop James from digging into the filling now, and Sirius who was retaliating with jinxes, and a few explosions of fireworks.

The other party guests were laughing, throwing food willingly and having a grand time. There were guys who were drunk, dancing around the room in a haze. There was a group in the corner that looked like they were playing the muggle game, spin the bottle with girlfriends.

Lily ran down the stairs to see what the commotion was about, her wand out as she prepared to crash the Bachelor party. Alice skidded behind her, as the two girls had planned to crash the party with magic.

However, Lily instead whirled on Sirius, who was about to pick up the cake and fling it Merlin knew where.

" No Sirius, don't pick that up!"

" James, PUT THAT DOWN!"

" Sirius I'm warning you-"

" James, don't put your face in the cake-"

" SIRIUS BLACK! PUT THOSE DOWN!"

" James, get out of the cake this instant!"

" Where'd Peter go?"

" YOU BETTER NOT HAVE SAID WHAT I THINK YOU SAID!"

" Don't you tell me you threw Peter out the window!"

" I don't care if you thought he was in the way, bring him back. NOW."

" James, don't give me that look."

" Bring. Him. Back. NOW. Both of you."

" Look, you've made Peter afraid of what's on his dinner plate."

" It's not funny James, stop laughing!"

" Sirius, don't even start-"

" FOOD FIGHT!"

" Sirius, no!"

" James, not the cake!"

* * *

><p><em>" I think it would be best if you moved after the wedding." <em>

_James froze, and Lily's mouth dropped open. _

_" Why?" Sirius was the first to recover, and his own eyes still remained fearful and wide. _

_" I believe that, one of the people you trust most is about to betray you to Voldemort." No one flinched at the name, and James lifted his head slightly. _

_" They would never," he began._

_" But-Remus-we can't just leave him. And Peter, he'll be alone. Remus doesn't have a job. He can't live on scraps for who knows how long. We can't just cast all our friends away from us. Remus is a werewolf, I get it. He's a Dark Creature by the Ministry's idiotic standards. Well he's also my friend. Without us, he'll starve."_

_" I still am moving you to another safe house after the wedding. Goodnight."_

_With a swish of his cloak, Dumbledore marched out of the Potters residence, for now, and onto the doorstep. He paused, turning slightly back to the family. _

_" There is danger on the horizon, sometimes the ones we mustn't trust are the ones closest to us," he warned, before he vanished, disapparating away._

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><p>Oh, and I may as well say it now. Updates on this story will probably slow down. The chapters might (note the MIGHT) get longer because I only have a few left. The only ones left really are Harry James Potter and that dreaded Halloween night.<p> 


	32. Married

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Thirty Two: Married **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**If anyone needs to back up their stories, I recommend flagfic(.)com**

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><p>He hadn't expected her to snap at him. He hadn't expected he'd marry her someday. He hadn't planned on meeting Lily Evans on that day he did in First Year.<p>

The year that she'd passed him on the train, then later greeted him rather reluctantly at the Feast. He had noticed the way she smiled, despite the light that faded in her eyes as she glared at him.

The year that he had been into too much trouble to bother about any girls. They didn't fascinate him yet. He was still in the stage where girls and guys could be friends without liking each other.

Severus was his main target. He and his group of friends would chase Severus, shoving him down in the halls. They never shot anything more than sparks at him that year. They laughed at him and rolled their eyes.

James never realized that Lily was the one who helped Severus up. No, Lily was just another girl in his House. He hadn't noticed her much though, not until third year.

Second year, this was when there was the huge shift. Girls were suddenly turning all girly. They started to like makeup and dresses. Lily was still the tomboy girl, the one who didn't like makeup. She remained natural. She didn't want guys to like her just for how she looked. If they wanted her, they better want to date her for who she was.

Third year, when boys had stopped seeing girls as tomboys. When the girls suddenly turned into girls. They separated, and it wasn't okay for girls and guys to just be friends. In other words, the girl had to be secretly falling for the guy. Or, he was in love with her, and she was just too stubborn to realize how much he looked at her.

Severus even got the comments. Everyone said that he was in love with her, but she never believed them. She refused to ask him, because she knew how awkward it would make Sev and her. She had wanted to keep their friendship like this for as long as she could.

Fourth year, when everything got messy and complicated. When people all around were telling her to look-to look at how he looked at her, and see what they saw. Finally, she looked. She saw how he looked at her, and for once, she just stopped. She stopped thinking he was looking at her like a friend. She saw that look for what it really was.

And that scared the hell out of her.

Fifth year, when their relationship was strained and near it's breaking point. Because she had never given him a reason quite as to _why _she hadn't talked to him since that day. It was all because she was too scared to tell him that she never loved him. Not like he loved her at least. No, she loved him as a friend and only that. She didn't want anything to 'blossom' from their friendship as others put it.

She just wanted them to be friends, because to her, that's all they ever were.

So why did he suddenly want a relationship from her? Did he really want anything from her?

That was the year when everything ended. When it all came crashing down on her. That maybe, he had only ever loved her.

Sixth year, when she had finally moved on. she had refused to let him rule her life anymore. And she didn't hear his chatter or any of the things that anyone else said. She ignored them in fact. Even when he attempted to talk to her. As for James, she almost forgot he was there. Yes, he was the popular guy with the Marauders, but that didn't mean she was always with him.

In fact, most of the time she didn't really think of him. She didn't get a boyfriend that year, and her crush actually was in seventh year, so he graduated and left her. She almost forgot about James most of the time.

Seventh year, when she realized that she liked James. That was when she had finally dated James.

Who would know that it might lead to marriage? Sure, that was a joke that little seven year olds said. Kissing leading to marriage and a baby.

Who thought it would be true?

-l-Peter-l-

I crouched in the corner of the garden. Lily and James' wedding was today, and I felt that I owed it to them to at least show up. Even if they couldn't see me and wouldn't even know I was there.

I sniffed, my pink nose twitching as I took in the delicious smells of the kitchen. From the sounds of it, Alice was making her delicious linguini for dinner. For lunch, I could scent out the sandwiches lying on the table inside. It was tempting, but I knew it was too much of a risk.

Perching on a rock, I could see over the lawn, which was for once, nicely cut and bright green. I could spot out the arch, where the wedding would take place, and the chairs for the few guests they were having over.

Thirsty, I managed to slip unnoticed to the cat door and lap a mouthful or so of water from the cat's bowl. Warily, I drank, and then skittered back to my corner.

Dumbledore had warned me to stay silent and unnoticed wherever I went. So I lay silently, waiting.

Being so small, I didn't see Lily walk down the aisle. But I could just make out them speaking their vows, and I heard Alice crying, and Frank was there. I could hear Sirius' distinctive laughter after the wedding. And at one point, Remus passed near enough to the bushes I was hiding in for me to catch a glimpse.

He looked as run down as the rest of us, both from the war and the crazy wedding preparations. He was managing to smile through the whole wedding though.

"YOU WHAT?"

I jumped, leaping back into the bushes, terrified that someone had seen me. My ears were ringing with the sharpness of Alice's scream.

"No way!" this time I winced away from another girl's scream, distinctly Lily's if I wasn't mistaken. I relaxed slightly and crept closer to hear about what this shocking news was.

"You're pregnant?" this time it was Sirius' surprisingly calm voice that I heard, and I caught a flash of his black hair through the leaves. My fur prickled at the news. No...she couldn't be. My ears swiveled to pick up the rest.

Lily quickly confirmed it, and James wasn't even batting an eye. Clearly it wasn't news to him. Still, fear shuddered through me. Poor kid, I was thinking. Whoever the child was, he was going to be a child born in the middle of a war. A war between Voldemort...and his parents, who were number one targets.

I knew that this child wasn't going to be a gift. He was a curse. No child born in the middle of a war like this could be a good thing. A time in which the Wizarding World was at war within itself. Ripping itself apart, and hopefully-at the end-it would be able to repair itself.


	33. Last Killing

**Into Emerald Flames**

**Chapter Thirty Three: Last Killing**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter.

This is the last chapter, and I'm really really sorry but I completely rushed through it and then found that I really don't have the energy and time to go back through and make improvements. I don't really like the ending and someday I may come back and switch it around a bit, but right now I'm focusing on Always and Eternity which I am obsessed with writing (even though I haven't updated yet).

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><p>Harry James Potter was born, and there was Remus and Sirius. Lily nearly pounded Sirius's brains in when he kept it up with his 'helpful comments' as he called them.<p>

Of course, there was nothing helpful about what he said. He was simply aggravating her. At long last, Sirius was roughly shoved out by James, and Remus followed to stand out in the hall with him.

"Why'd she get me shoved out?" Sirius whined.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You did tell her that everything was okay. When really, she was needing none of your helpful comments about how to breathe."

"But I was just trying to help!" Sirius protested unhappily.

"She threatened James to have you not be her son's godfather. She was ready to shoot you full of hexes, which you were lucky that she didn't have her wand with her. No doubt she would have."

"She didn't have to get all violent about it. I mean really, she could have just said to stop," Sirius pointed out.

Remus rolled his eyes again. "She tried to. You didn't listen."

"Well James is the one who shoved me. I just wanted to see the baby," Sirius pouted, glaring huffily at the wall.

"James was trying to keep Lily from shoving her foot down your throat, she was about to. She was furious with you by that time and you certainly weren't helping," Remus commented lightly.

They were interrupted by Harry's screams. James walked out, holding the screaming baby. Sirius leapt up, but Remus held him back slightly.

Sirius could still see the light black hairs that covered the child's head, and see his bright green eyes. James grinned, handing him to Sirius. At this, Remus stopped trying to hold Sirius back, sure that Sirius was past the point of shooting into the room where Lily was.

"You'll be godfather?" James asked, looking at his son in Sirius' arms.

Sirius stared at him, almost like the words weren't processing. And Remus dearly hoped that Sirius wouldn't drop baby Harry in his shock. Sirius still gaped. "What?"

"Alright, I'll take that as a yes," James replied, sinking into a chair next to Remus.

For a long moment Sirius just stared at Harry. "He's going to be a lot like you, Prongs," he noted.

"How do you know?" James asked, taking his son back from Sirius.

"He's got your hair, and Lily's eyes. He'll have your good looks I'm sure. If he's anything like you, he'll fall for a redhead, won't he?"

"I hope not, but it's worth it," James sighed, as Lily was heard screaming at one of the nurses.

"YOU WHAT? BRING HIM BACK HERE, RIGHT _NOW_!"

A nurse appeared, looking shaken. "Mr. Potter, your wife is asking for you-" she didn't even finish her sentence before James was up and walking in.

* * *

><p>"There has to be a traitor, no one else could know."<p>

"Sirius, I think it's Remus."

"But...he wouldn't."

* * *

><p>October 31st, Halloween night.<p>

"RUN! Get out of here!"

Sirius jumped up, from where he was sitting. Peter had raced into the Potter's house, while he was visiting. Lily was cleaning up, and Faith was trailing after her. Devante was just learning how to crawl around, and Harry was sleeping on the couch.

James ran out of the kitchen, wand held aloft. When he saw it was Peter, he relaxed.

Peter however, grabbed the floo pot, and threw some into the fire. "Get out of here. He's coming. He'll kill you."

No need to tell them who _he_ was. Sirius grabbed Devante, and then shoved Faith to Lily. The two vanished, Lily shouting out the Dursleys, at Privet Drive.

Sirius was next, holding Devante. But as he did, Peter turned to him. "Take this. And destroy it. If you need help, ask Regulus. He knows." Sirius whirled away in a wisp of green flames. When he landed, he stared at the gold necklace with the gem, carved into it was an S. Salazar Slytherin no doubt.

The next minute, there was James, handing Harry to Lily, who was standing in the middle of a soot covered room. She looked around, and heard a crash upstairs.

"Who is it, Vernon?" she heard her sister call.

There was no reply. Instead, Lily answered. "It's me Petunia, it's Lily!"

The next moment, her sister appeared, running down the stairs, her mouth open, but words died on her lips. She simply stared at her sister, and the two odd men, all with soot on them.

"What are you doing here?" Petunia asked, sounding too shocked to scream at them properly. In her arms was a screaming baby with blonde hair.

"Voldemort. He's after us, we had to get out, otherwise he would have killed us. Our secret-keeper warned us, and-where is Peter?" she asked, turning to James and Sirius. They exchanged a awkward glance, and then stared at the fireplace expectantly.

"Sirius?" Lily asked softly, walking over to the two men. Her husband was holding Faith, and she now took Devante from Sirius, handing him to James as well. "I think-he knew. He was the traitor. Not Remus."

"Sirius," Lily repeated, and grey eyes locked onto her. "I don't think..." she trailed off, biting her lip.

Sirius turned away from her, his eyes locked on the fireplace where orange flames licked the wood. "Where's Remus?"

When Sirius didn't move, Lily made a disgusted noise in her throat and drew her wand. In one bound, on sprang a doe from her wand, and she let it bound off with her message to Remus. Still frozen, Sirius watched the doe spring away, silvery hooves vanishing in an instant.

Then someone knocked on the door. Lily screamed and ran upstairs, dragging Petunia after her. She held Devante, and dragged Faith after her. Petunia, despite her dislike of Harry, had scooped both him and Dudley up and vanished up the stairs.

Sirius and James both drew their wands, facing the door.

But it opened to show Dumbledore, who looked solemn. "I bring bad news, and you're not going to like it."

James and Sirius exchanged looks of silent fear. Then James nodded. "What is it?"

"Peter, he has been killed at the hands Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore announced. "It was under my orders. He was killed because of what he did. He was my spy for Voldemort. Is there the possibility that he could have told Voldemort of your location?"

"Yes, he was our secret-keeper," James confessed. Sirius didn't even blink, while Dumbledore looked mildly surprised. He sighed, and seemed to be putting everything together, even as he surveyed them over his glasses.

"I believe he told Voldemort of your location. Then, when he went to warn all of you," Dumbledore explained. "For that, he was killed."

"Wait, he was working in Voldemort's lair?" Sirius asked, looking more startled than he had when Lily and James started dating.

"Yes, he was a spy for me. Did he tell you anything after he saved you?"

"He gave us this," Sirius held out the necklace. Dumbledore took it, and examined it carefully.

"What did he tell you?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the S engraved in the necklace.

"To talk to Regulus, but why?" James asked curiously.

"Because he's a Death Eater," Sirius replied. "That's dangerous. I'll give it back to Regulus."

"Today was the day that Voldemort chose the one who would be his equal, it was supposed to be Harry. But, when you all fled, he went to someone else's house."

There was a tense silence. "Neville Longbottom. Alice was killed trying to save her son, but Frank is alive. But he's in St. Mungo's right now."

"But he'll get out soon, right?" James asked, eyes wide.

"No, he was tortured to insanity. He'll never get out," Dumbledore replied softly. "Though I do believe you owe Remus a good apology. He will be here, I should say about now."

Lily, who was upstairs, lowered her head. Her red hair framed her face, and tears fell down her cheeks. Partly from relief, that he son was safe now. The other was the pain of feeling the relief, because in a way, she wished it upon her friend...who was dead, and her son practically orphaned.

Remus arrived in a flash of green flames, eyes wide with fear. "What happened?" he asked, looking around. "Lily said there'd been a betrayal. So then why is Sirius here?" Sudden understanding dawned on him. "Unless you switched without telling me, and it's Peter-because you thought I would betray you?"

Lily nodded, running down the stairs to hug him, while Sirius and James looked respectively guilty, staring at the floor and shuffling their feet.

Less than a week later, Regulus went missing, and the locket was lost in time.

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><p><em>Okay, this was terrible. I took ages writing it. It didn't turn out how I had originally planned and it took a lot longer than it should have. (I was sick...and had to keep going to the doctor; then I couldn't find inspiration...)<em>

_So my ending turned out horridly. No idea why, but I am awful when it comes to writing the end of stories. Especially when I've been dragging them out for ages. Don't hate me. _

_But anyway, let me know what you think. _


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